Hegemony of Science

A critical metascientific framework that examines how science functions as a dominant cultural force, exercising authority over other ways of knowing and shaping what counts as legitimate knowledge in modern societies. Drawing on Gramsci's concept of hegemony, this framework analyzes how scientific ways of knowing have achieved such dominance that they appear natural, inevitable, and universal—not one knowledge system among many but the standard against which all knowledge is measured. The hegemony of science operates through institutions (education, media, policy), through language (what counts as "scientific" versus "unscientific"), and through the internalization of scientific standards by the public (the belief that science is the only reliable path to truth). It examines how this hegemony marginalizes other knowledge systems—indigenous knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, experiential knowledge, religious knowledge—not through explicit coercion but through the quiet assumption that science is simply how rational people know things. Understanding the hegemony of science is essential for understanding knowledge politics, epistemic justice, and the possibilities for cognitive diversity.

Example: "Her hegemony of science analysis showed how traditional healing practices are systematically delegitimized—not because they don't work, but because they don't fit scientific standards of evidence. Science's hegemony means that other ways of knowing must be validated by science to count at all."

Hegemony of Science by Dumu The Void March 16, 2026