The theory that progress operates in two modes: absolute progress (improvement by any standard, for anyone, in any context) and relative progress (improvement within a framework, by certain measures, for certain groups). The Theory of Absolute and Relative Progress argues that claims of progress are often relative masquerading as absolute. Technological progress (new gadgets) may hide social regress (worse working conditions). Economic progress (GDP growth) may hide ecological regress (environmental destruction). The theory calls for distinguishing between the two, for asking "progress for whom?" and "progress by what measure?" before celebrating.
Theory of Absolute and Relative Progress Example: "The government celebrated economic progress—GDP up, markets booming. But inequality had grown, wages had stagnated, the environment had suffered. The Theory of Absolute and Relative Progress explained: relative progress for capital, not absolute progress for people. The celebration was for some, not all. He started asking who was progressing and who was paying."
by Abzugal February 21, 2026
Get the Theory of Absolute and Relative Progress mug.A logical fallacy where someone dismisses an entire ideology, system, or idea by pointing to its worst outcomes, stripped of all context, history, and mitigating factors. The name comes from the classic "Communism killed millions" argument—which isn't false on its face, but becomes fallacious when used to end all discussion without examining specific contexts, variations, alternatives, or comparative harms. The Fallacy of Absolute Privation isolates the worst instances, treats them as the whole truth, and uses suffering as a conversation-stopper. It's not that the suffering isn't real—it's that citing it without context, comparison, or analysis is a rhetorical weapon, not an argument. Any system, ideology, or idea can be condemned by its worst expressions; the fallacy is pretending that's the end of the story.
Fallacy of Absolute Privation (Fallacy of Communism Killed Millions) "We were discussing educational reforms, and someone mentioned learning from Nordic models. Response: 'Nordic socialism? You mean like Communism that killed millions?' That's the Fallacy of Absolute Privation—conflating Nordic social democracy with Soviet communism, ignoring all context, and using historical tragedy to shut down discussion of school lunch programs."
by Dumu The Void February 24, 2026
Get the Fallacy of Absolute Privation (Fallacy of Communism Killed Millions) mug.A complementary fallacy to the Relative Exception, where someone treats the worst outcomes of a system as absolute proof that the system itself is fundamentally evil, beyond any redemption or redeeming features. The "Communism killed millions" argument here functions as an absolute conversation-ender: no communist or socialist idea can be discussed because communism, absolutely and without qualification, means mass death. The fallacy lies in treating historical atrocities as the essence of the ideology, rather than as one set of outcomes among many, shaped by specific conditions, leaders, and contexts. It's the rhetorical equivalent of saying "religion caused wars, therefore all religious ideas are worthless"—ignoring that everything humans touch has both light and shadow.
"I tried to discuss Marxist analysis of economic inequality. Response: 'Communism killed millions, end of discussion.' That's the Fallacy of the Absolute Exception—using historical horror as a universal veto on any idea associated with that tradition. No context, no comparison, no nuance. Just an absolute: communism = death, therefore any communist-adjacent thought is invalid. It's not argument—it's intellectual arson."
by Dumu The Void February 28, 2026
Get the Fallacy of the Absolute Exception mug.Someone who claims to defend the Freedom of Speech to hell and back, while not understanding how it actually works.
They claim that social media companies taking down TOS violating content is a violation of the right to free speech, but in reality social media companies are private companies, which aren't bound by the First Amendment. This means that they can set up their own boundaries of what is and isn't okay to say on their site.
Despite them complaining how they are being censored online, most of the time they don't actually care about Free Speech, and just want to spread extremist views online without punishment.
There are social media sites that cater to these people (like Twitter), but they usually become Nazi echo chambers filled with toxicity.
They claim that social media companies taking down TOS violating content is a violation of the right to free speech, but in reality social media companies are private companies, which aren't bound by the First Amendment. This means that they can set up their own boundaries of what is and isn't okay to say on their site.
Despite them complaining how they are being censored online, most of the time they don't actually care about Free Speech, and just want to spread extremist views online without punishment.
There are social media sites that cater to these people (like Twitter), but they usually become Nazi echo chambers filled with toxicity.
What Free Speech Absolutists don't get about social media is that they are private companies and can set boundaries on what is and isn't okay without it being a violation of The First Amendment.
by LPBvgc July 15, 2025
Get the Free Speech Absolutist mug.A man who owns a server who normaly makes his staff suffer with jobs that are way too hard
please save them
please save them
by manMansan March 2, 2022
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