Capitalist Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about capitalism that dominate mainstream economics, policy, and public discourse—the often-unexamined assumptions that markets are efficient, that growth is good, that privatization improves services, that competition drives innovation, and that capitalism is the only viable economic system. Capitalist orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that free markets allocate resources optimally, that regulation distorts efficiency, that inequality is the natural result of differential contribution, that economic growth is the primary measure of success, and that alternatives to capitalism are either impossible or disastrous. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for thinking about economics, but it can also function as ideology—making capitalist arrangements seem natural and inevitable, obscuring exploitation and harm, and delegitimizing alternatives. Capitalist orthodoxy determines what questions economists ask, what policies are considered reasonable, and who counts as a "serious" economic thinker versus a naive idealist.

Example: "She suggested that maybe growth isn't always good—and was dismissed as economically illiterate by her colleagues. Capitalist orthodoxy doesn't allow questioning of its most fundamental assumptions; they're treated as self-evident rather than contestable."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Liberal Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs that define mainstream liberalism—the often-unexamined assumptions about individual rights, freedom, equality, democracy, and progress that shape liberal societies. Liberal orthodoxy includes commitments: that individuals are the primary unit of society, that freedom means absence of coercion, that rights protect individuals from the state, that democracy is the best form of government, that progress happens through reform rather than revolution, and that liberal institutions (markets, courts, elections) are fundamentally just. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for political thinking, but it can also function as ideology—making liberal arrangements seem natural and inevitable, obscuring their limitations and exclusions, and delegitimizing alternatives. Liberal orthodoxy determines what counts as "reasonable" political discourse, what policies are within the "overton window," and who counts as a "serious" political thinker versus a radical or reactionary.

Example: "He couldn't understand why anyone would question liberal democracy—not because he'd examined its limitations, but because liberal orthodoxy had made it seem like simply the way civilized societies organize themselves. The orthodoxy was invisible to him because he was inside it."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Neoliberal Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs that define mainstream neoliberal thought—the often-unexamined assumptions about markets, competition, privatization, deregulation, and individualism that have dominated policy since the 1980s. Neoliberal orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that markets allocate resources more efficiently than states, that competition drives innovation and quality, that privatization improves services, that deregulation frees entrepreneurship, that individualism should trump collective provision, that growth solves all problems, and that there is no alternative to market-based organization. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for policy thinking, but it functions as ideology—making market-based arrangements seem natural and inevitable, obscuring their failures and harms, and delegitimizing alternatives. Neoliberal orthodoxy determines what policies are considered "reasonable," what economic arrangements are "realistic," and who counts as a "serious" policy thinker versus a naive idealist.

Example: "She suggested that maybe some services are better provided publicly—and was dismissed as wanting to 'return to communism.' Neoliberal orthodoxy doesn't allow questioning of privatization; it's treated as obviously superior rather than contestable."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Market Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about markets that dominate economics and policy—the often-unexamined assumptions that markets are efficient, that prices reflect value, that competition benefits consumers, that market outcomes are fair, and that market mechanisms should be extended to more and more domains of life. Market orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that supply and demand determine optimal prices, that market allocation is superior to planning, that market incentives drive innovation, that market discipline improves organizations, and that "market forces" are natural rather than constructed. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for economic thinking, but it functions as ideology—making market arrangements seem natural and inevitable, obscuring how markets are created and maintained by state power, and delegitimizing non-market alternatives. Market orthodoxy determines what economic arrangements are considered "efficient," what policies are "distortions," and who counts as "economically literate."

Example: "He assumed that markets naturally produce optimal outcomes—not because he'd studied market failures, but because market orthodoxy had made that assumption seem like common sense. The orthodoxy's power is making its central claims feel like observations rather than assumptions."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Money Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about money that dominate economics and everyday life—the often-unexamined assumptions that money is neutral, that it represents value, that it's naturally scarce, that debt must be repaid, that inflation is always bad, that sound money is essential, and that the current monetary system is the only possible one. Money orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that money emerged naturally from barter, that gold or other commodities are the "real" money, that central banks should be independent, that monetary policy is technical rather than political, that government spending must be funded by taxes or borrowing. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for economic thinking, but it functions as ideology—making monetary arrangements seem natural and inevitable, obscuring that money is a social creation that could be organized differently, and delegitimizing alternative monetary systems (community currencies, modern monetary theory, digital currencies, mutual credit). Money orthodoxy determines what monetary policies are considered "responsible," what economic arrangements are "sound," and who counts as "economically literate."

Example: "She suggested that governments could create money to fund public goods—and was dismissed as not understanding 'how money works.' Money orthodoxy doesn't allow questioning of monetary fundamentals; they're treated as natural laws rather than human creations."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Individual Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about the individual that dominate Western thought—the often-unexamined assumptions that the individual is the fundamental unit of society, that individual rights are primary, that individual choice is sovereign, that individual responsibility is the basis of morality, and that social arrangements should serve individuals rather than collectives. Individual orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that people are autonomous agents, that freedom means absence of constraint, that individuals should be free to pursue their own good, that collectives are just aggregates of individuals, that social problems have individual solutions. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for social understanding, but it functions as ideology—making individualism seem natural and universal, obscuring how individuals are constituted by social relations, and delegitimizing collectivist alternatives (community, solidarity, common ownership). Individual orthodoxy determines what political arrangements are considered "free," what social policies are "paternalistic," and who counts as a "responsible" person versus dependent.

Example: "He couldn't see how social structures shape individual choices—not because he'd examined the question, but because individual orthodoxy had made structural thinking invisible. The orthodoxy's power is making its own assumptions seem like the only way to see."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Truth Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about truth that dominate Western epistemology and everyday discourse—the often-unexamined assumptions that truth is objective, that it corresponds to reality, that it's discoverable through reason and evidence, that some claims are simply true regardless of perspective, and that truth is the ultimate standard for evaluating beliefs. Truth orthodoxy includes specific commitments: that truth is singular (there can't be multiple truths), that truth is universal (what's true here is true everywhere), that truth is timeless (what's true now was always true), that truth is independent of knowers. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for epistemic understanding, but it functions as ideology when it becomes dogmatic—making a particular conception of truth seem like the only conception, obscuring how truth practices vary across cultures and contexts, and delegitimizing alternative understandings (pragmatic truth, perspectival truth, truth as correspondence to experience rather than reality). Truth orthodoxy determines what claims are considered "true," what epistemic practices are "valid," and who counts as "rational" versus "relativist."

Example: "He insisted that his view was simply 'the truth'—not because he'd examined alternatives, but because truth orthodoxy had made his perspective invisible to himself. The orthodoxy's power is making particular truths feel like Truth itself."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026