Definitions by Abzugal
Scientific-Epistemological Determinism
The idea that the development of scientific knowledge is not a free, rational pursuit of truth, but is determined by external, non-scientific forces. These can be economic (funding interests), ideological (political or religious dogma), technological (what tools are available), or social (power structures within institutions). Science is steered by its environment.
Example: The history of tobacco research, where corporate funding deterministically shaped the questions asked and the conclusions highlighted for decades, is a blunt case. More subtly, a scientific-epistemological determinism might argue that the current focus on AI and quantum computing is less about the "pure" logic of scientific progress and more determined by geopolitical competition and massive capital investment. Which diseases get researched is heavily determined by pharmaceutical profit potential, not just by global health burden.
Scientific-Epistemological Determinism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Scientific-Epistemological Relativism
The view that scientific knowledge is not a discovery of a pre-existing reality, but a construction deeply influenced by social, cultural, and historical contexts. Scientific "facts" and even what counts as good evidence are relative to the prevailing paradigm, worldview, or community of scientists. Truth is made, not found.
Example: Thomas Kuhn's concept of "paradigm shifts" is a classic expression of Scientific-Epistemological Relativism. Before and after the Copernican Revolution, scientists lived in different intellectual worlds with different facts. A scientific-epistemological relativist argues that the "objective" evidence was interpreted through incompatible frameworks. Similarly, modern debates (like over certain sociological theories) often involve clashes between groups with fundamentally different epistemological standards for what constitutes valid evidence.
Scientific-Epistemological Relativism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Scientific-Epistemological Realism
The belief that the entities, laws, and structures described by successful scientific theories (like electrons, natural selection, or gravitational waves) are real, mind-independent features of the world, and that science progressively uncovers this objective truth. Theories may change, but they converge on an accurate description of reality "as it is."
Example: A scientific-epistemological realism believes that DNA existed and carried genetic information long before humans discovered it. The shift from Newtonian physics to Einsteinian relativity wasn't a change of arbitrary stories, but a closer approximation to the actual fabric of spacetime. When physicists talk about the Higgs boson, they're not just describing a useful calculation tool; they believe it's a real particle their instruments actually detected.
Scientific-Epistemological Realism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Cognitive Determinism
The theory that our thoughts, beliefs, and even our conscious reasoning processes are determined by prior causes—our genetics, upbringing, culture, and past experiences—that shape our cognitive frameworks. You think what you think because of your cognitive programming; "changing your mind" is just the output of a deterministic process of new inputs interacting with old programming.
Example: You encounter a persuasive political argument. Cognitive determinism would say whether you find it convincing isn't a free evaluation of pure reason, but is predetermined by your existing ideological schema, the trust you have in the speaker (based on past experiences), and your social group's norms. Your "rational conclusion" was the only possible output given your cognitive starting conditions. Advertising works on this principle, aiming to deterministically rewire cognitive associations (Coca-Cola = happiness).
Cognitive Determinism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Cognitive Relativism
The view that all knowledge, concepts, and truths are constructed by the mind and are relative to the individual's or culture's perspective, framework, or conceptual scheme. There is no neutral, framework-independent way to check if our concepts "match" reality; we're always interpreting through a lens. Different frameworks create different, equally valid, cognitive realities.
Example: The concept of "justice." Cognitive relativism would argue there's no universal, mind-independent essence of justice. One culture's justice (restorative, community-based) is a fundamentally different cognitive construction than another's (retributive, individual-based). Neither is more "real"; they are products of different historical and social frameworks. Two people witnessing the same event (e.g., a political protest) will cognitively construct different events based on their pre-existing schemas.
Cognitive Relativism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Cognitive Realism
The position that our internal cognitive representations (concepts, schemas, mental models) accurately mirror the external world. Our minds are like maps that, while not perfect, are fundamentally aligned with the territory. Truth is about correspondence between thought and reality, and through reason and perception, we can progressively refine our maps to be more accurate.
Cognitive Realism believes that the concept of "tree" in your mind, while simplified, corresponds to an actual class of objects with shared properties (roots, trunk, leaves) that exist independently of you. Scientific models, like the heliocentric solar system, are triumphantly realistic maps that displaced less accurate ones (geocentrism). When you learn a new fact and update your belief, you're moving your cognitive map closer to reality.
Cognitive Realism by Abzugal January 24, 2026
Neuropsychodeterminism
The hardcore belief that all thoughts, choices, and actions are the inevitable, pre-determined outputs of electrochemical brain processes. Free will is a compelling illusion generated by the brain to explain its own operations to itself. You are a passive passenger watching the screen of consciousness, while the neural machinery below runs on the unbreakable laws of physics and chemistry.
Example: You "decide" to grab a coffee. Neuropsychodeterminism says that decision was finalized milliseconds before you were consciously aware of it, triggered by a cascade of neural events stemming from your blood sugar, prior caffeine addiction pathways, and sensory input. The "you" that feels in control is just a news ticker, not the editor. The movie "Free Guy" hints at this—the NPC's "choices" are just code executing. A neuropsychodeterminist sees humans as vastly more complex, but equally determined, biological NPCs.
Neuropsychodeterminism by Abzugal January 24, 2026