Cognitive Bigotry

The prejudiced belief that one's own reasoning operates purely on logic and evidence, while the reasoning of those who disagree is fundamentally contaminated by cognitive biases, emotions, or lower evolutionary instincts. It is the failure to acknowledge the universality of cognitive biases—they affect everyone, including you. This bigotry creates a caste system of thinkers: the enlightened (us) who see reality clearly, and the deluded (them) who are slaves to heuristics. It ignores the role of values, experiences, and legitimate epistemological differences in shaping conclusions.

Example: A tech executive believes their support for radical life-extension technology is purely rational, based on cost-benefit analyses. They dismiss religious or ethical objections from bioconservatives as being driven by "status quo bias" and "yuck-factor emotionalism." This cognitive bigotry refuses to engage with the substantive philosophical arguments about human nature, destiny, and inequality, instead reducing all opposition to a catalog of cognitive errors. It mistakes one value system (utilitarian calculation) for the absence of bias. Cognitive Bigotry.

Cognitive Bigotry by Dumuabzu January 25, 2026