Dogmatism

Dogmatism has been defined as the “tendency to lay down principles (beliefs) as incontrovertibly true, without any consideration of sufficient evidence or the opinion of others.”  I’ve never wanted to be a dogmatic person.  A dogmatic person is authoritarian, inflexible, arrogant, rigid, narrow-minded, opinionated, bigoted and intolerant.  A dogmatic person  expresses his or her opinion or  belief as the only one.  Parents are often dogmatic with their children and the Christian church is noted for its dogmatism—laying down principles of behavior or beliefs as incontrovertibly true. A “dogma” is an “unchallengeable and unquestionably true” teaching, belief, conviction, ethic, or ideology laid down as authoritative (absolutely true) without adequate grounds.

Throughout history, and, it seems to me, even more so in our time, we have example after example of dogmatic beliefs in government, religion, science, ethics, and in our personal relationships.  Dogmatism essentially causes us to close our minds to other perspectives and opinions.  Irrational beliefs such as “the earth is flat” or “global warming is a hoax,” are dogmatic in nature. Such beliefs are inconsistent with empirical reality, they are illogical and persons who cling to them ignore any and all evidence that does not support their line of thinking. This rigidity in one’s thinking creates anger when alternative explanations or opinions are proffered, or when they see discrepancies between their opinion and reality. 

All of us are dogmatic in a sense.  It is important for us as human beings that we hold our particular and maybe even our peculiar opinions.  We have our own ideas, our own feelings, our own opinions and perspectives—it is part and parcel of what it means to be a person.  We call this our “subjective” side: our personal, individual, internal, emotional, instinctive, intuitive, biased, gut-based ideas.  We become dogmatic when we  present this subjective side of ourselves (without evidence to back it up) as being true for everyone or as the only reality.

We can never be fully human if we do not recognize another side of ourselves.  We may be subjective beings, but we are also objective and rational beings—we are meant to be thinking, rational people. Dogmatism prevents us from thinking outside our own boundaries, from using the mind we have been given, and  from seeking truth.  That’s why I don’t want to be a dogmatist.  I want to be fully human—subjective and objective, emotional and rational, and a seeker of truth no matter how evasive.