Evidence‑based Defaultism

An ideological extension of evidence defaultism, where “evidence‑based” is treated not as a methodology but as a totalizing worldview that dismisses any knowledge claim not grounded in empirical, quantitative, peer‑reviewed evidence. Evidence‑based defaultism assumes that evidence, as defined by Western scientific institutions, is the only legitimate basis for belief, and that any other way of knowing (intuition, tradition, revelation, embodied experience) is automatically inferior or delusional. It often appears in policy debates, education, and online skepticism, where it is used to exclude indigenous knowledge, spiritual practices, and qualitative research from consideration. Unlike genuine evidence‑based practice (which uses evidence as a tool), evidence‑based defaultism uses “evidence” as a gatekeeping ideology.

Example: “The committee rejected traditional ecological knowledge from consideration, stating that only ‘evidence‑based’ studies would be accepted. Evidence‑based defaultism: using the rhetoric of evidence to erase non‑Western knowledge systems.”

Evidence‑based Defaultism by Abzugal April 18, 2026