Proof Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about proof that dominate science, law, and public discourse—the often-unexamined assumptions about what counts as proof, how proof should be established, what standards are appropriate in different contexts, and how proof relates to certainty. Proof orthodoxy includes commitments: that scientific proof requires replication, that legal proof requires evidence beyond reasonable doubt, that mathematical proof requires deduction from axioms, that proof is objective and universal, that claims without proof can be dismissed, that some domains (religion, ethics) lack proof and therefore lack truth. Like all orthodoxies, it provides standards for establishing claims, but it functions as ideology—making particular conceptions of proof seem like the only conceptions, obscuring how proof standards vary across contexts and cultures, and delegitimizing ways of knowing that don't fit (experiential knowledge, revealed truth, embodied understanding). Proof orthodoxy determines what claims are considered "proven," what arguments are "demonstrated," and who counts as "rigorous" versus "unsupported."

Example: "He demanded proof for her experience of discrimination—as if her testimony couldn't count. Proof orthodoxy had made him believe that only certain kinds of evidence are real evidence."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Cognitive Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about cognition that dominate psychology, neuroscience, and public discourse—the often-unexamined assumptions about how thinking works, what minds are, and how cognition should be studied and understood. Cognitive orthodoxy includes commitments: that cognition happens in individual brains, that thinking can be modeled as information processing, that cognitive processes are universal, that brains are the right level of analysis, that cognition is separate from emotion and body, that laboratory studies reveal how thinking works, that cognitive science is the best framework for understanding mind. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for research and understanding, but it functions as ideology—making particular conceptions of mind seem natural and inevitable, obscuring alternative frameworks (embodied, embedded, extended, enactive), and delegitimizing approaches that question cognitive orthodoxy's assumptions. Cognitive orthodoxy determines what research is funded, what theories are taught, and who counts as "scientific" versus "unscientific" in the study of mind.

Example: "She suggested that cognition might extend beyond the brain—into body, tools, and environment—and was dismissed as 'not real cognitive science.' Cognitive orthodoxy had made its boundaries feel like the boundaries of legitimate inquiry."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Neuro-Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about the brain that dominate neuroscience and public discourse—the often-unexamined assumptions that brains explain everything about mind, that brain imaging reveals thought, that neural correlates are causes, that brain differences explain social phenomena, that neuroscience is the ultimate authority on human nature. Neuro-orthodoxy includes commitments: that complex human experiences reduce to brain activity, that fMRI shows what people think and feel, that brain differences between groups explain social inequalities, that neuroscience will eventually answer all questions about mind, that neuro-talk is inherently more scientific than psychological or social explanation. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for understanding, but it functions as ideology—making brain reductionism seem like the only rigorous approach, obscuring the limits of neuroimaging and neuro-explanation, and delegitimizing other ways of understanding human experience. Neuro-orthodoxy determines what research is funded, what explanations are taken seriously, and who counts as "scientifically literate" versus "naive" about the brain.

Example: "He explained every human phenomenon in terms of brain activity—love, politics, art, meaning—as if neural correlates were explanations. Neuro-orthodoxy had made reductionism feel like depth."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Neuroscientific Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs and practices that define mainstream neuroscience—the often-unexamined assumptions about how to study the brain, what questions are worth asking, what methods are legitimate, and how findings should be interpreted. Neuroscientific orthodoxy includes commitments: that localization of function is the goal, that brain imaging is the gold standard, that animal models reveal human brain function, that neural correlates are the path to understanding, that reductionism is progress, that more data is always better, that neuroscience will eventually explain consciousness. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a research program and community identity, but it functions as gatekeeping—determining who gets funded, what gets published, which careers advance, and what questions are worth asking. Neuroscientific orthodoxy shapes not just what we know about brains but what we think it's possible to know, making certain approaches seem scientific and others "philosophical" or "unscientific."

Example: "Her research on consciousness was dismissed as 'not real neuroscience' because it didn't use imaging—neuroscientific orthodoxy, where method defines the field rather than questions. The orthodoxy's power is making its tools feel like the only tools."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Psycho-Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs that dominate mainstream psychology—the often-unexamined assumptions about how to study mind, what counts as psychological knowledge, what methods are valid, and what theories are acceptable. Psycho-orthodoxy includes commitments: that quantitative methods are superior, that laboratory experiments reveal psychological truth, that statistical significance matters more than effect size, that Western populations represent humanity, that individual behavior is the right level of analysis, that psychological findings are universal, that replication crises are methodological rather than theoretical. Like all orthodoxies, it provides a framework for psychological research, but it functions as gatekeeping—determining what research is published, what theories are taught, who gets tenure, and what questions are worth asking. Psycho-orthodoxy shapes not just what we know about mind but what we think it's possible to know, making certain approaches feel scientific and others "soft" or "unscientific."

Example: "Her qualitative research on lived experience was rejected as 'not real psychology'—psycho-orthodoxy, where method defines the field rather than questions. The orthodoxy's power is making its preferences feel like standards."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Psychological Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs about human nature that dominate psychological discourse and popular understanding—the often-unexamined assumptions about how people work, what drives behavior, what mental health means, and how change happens. Psychological orthodoxy includes commitments: that the individual is the unit of analysis, that early experience determines adult outcomes, that mental disorders are individual pathologies, that therapy should focus on individual change, that psychological categories (personality, intelligence, disorder) name real things, that Western psychological concepts are universal. Like all orthodoxies, it provides frameworks for understanding self and other, but it functions as ideology—making particular conceptions of personhood seem natural and universal, obscuring how psychological categories are culturally and historically specific, and delegitimizing alternative understandings (collectivist, spiritual, structural). Psychological orthodoxy determines what counts as "healthy" vs "pathological," what explanations are "insightful" vs "superficial," and who counts as "psychologically minded" vs "naive."

Example: "He explained social problems in terms of individual psychology—as if inequality were a matter of personal growth. Psychological orthodoxy had made the individual feel like the only level of analysis."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Psychiatric Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs and practices that define mainstream psychiatry—the often-unexamined assumptions about mental illness, diagnosis, treatment, and the role of psychiatry in society. Psychiatric orthodoxy includes commitments: that mental disorders are brain disorders, that diagnosis is objective, that DSM categories name real diseases, that medication is often the best treatment, that psychiatric authority is legitimate, that the current psychiatric system is basically sound, that critics are anti-science or anti-treatment. Like all orthodoxies, it provides frameworks for understanding and treating mental distress, but it functions as institutional power—determining who gets diagnosed with what, what treatments are covered, who counts as mentally ill, and what alternatives are marginalized. Psychiatric orthodoxy shapes not just how we treat mental distress but what we think mental distress is, making particular conceptions of illness seem natural and alternatives (social, psychological, spiritual) seem insufficient.

Example: "She suggested that some distress might be social rather than medical—and was accused of denying mental illness. Psychiatric orthodoxy had made its framework feel like the only way to take suffering seriously."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026