A form of moralism where "evidence-based" becomes not a commitment to grounding claims in data but a weapon for dismissing views one dislikes and a badge of personal virtue. The evidence-based moralist treats their own positions as simply "what the evidence shows" and opponents' views as not just wrong but morally suspect—irrational, anti-science, dangerous. Evidence becomes a cudgel rather than a tool, a way of ending conversations rather than advancing them. The moralism lies in using the prestige of "evidence" to launder personal judgments, treating empirical support for one's views as proof of one's virtue, and dismissing those who interpret evidence differently as morally deficient rather than just differently persuaded.
Example: "He didn't argue—he just kept saying his position was 'evidence-based' and hers wasn't, as if that settled everything. Evidence-Based Moralism: using the word 'evidence' to avoid having to provide any."
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 14, 2026
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