Critical Thinking Bigotry

A form of bigotry that weaponizes the concept of “critical thinking” to dismiss, humiliate, or exclude those who hold different beliefs, particularly religious, spiritual, or metaphysical views. The critical thinking bigot claims that their own thinking is “critical” while others’ is “uncritical,” and that any deviation from their worldview is evidence of a failure to think. They demand that others “apply critical thinking” as if it were a single, universally agreed method, and then reject any conclusion that doesn’t match their own. Critical thinking becomes not a set of skills but a label for one’s own ideological in‑group.

Example: “He told her she needed to learn ‘critical thinking’ when she questioned his sources—critical thinking bigotry, using the phrase to avoid engaging with her actual arguments.”

Critical Thinking Prejudice

The cognitive bias that assumes one’s own reasoning is “critical” while others’ reasoning is not, and that any disagreement must stem from a lack of critical thinking on the other side. Critical thinking prejudice prevents genuine dialogue because it frames disagreement as a deficit in the other person rather than a possible result of different evidence, values, or frameworks. It often manifests as “I’ve thought critically about this, so if you disagree, you haven’t.” This prejudice is common in online debates, where participants declare themselves “skeptics” or “rationalists” and treat opponents as dupes.

Example: “After explaining her position, he said ‘you’re just not thinking critically’—critical thinking prejudice, assuming that his conclusion is the only one a critical thinker could reach.”

Critical Thinking Bigotry by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 16, 2026