Historical-Dialectical Demarcation Theory

A critical reappraisal of the problem of distinguishing science from non‑science (demarcation) through a dialectical materialist lens. Traditional demarcation criteria (falsifiability, problem‑solving, etc.) are seen as static and ahistorical. Historical‑dialectical demarcation theory instead argues that boundaries between science, pseudoscience, and other knowledge forms shift through historical struggle, institutional power, and material conditions. What counts as “scientific” depends on who controls funding, journals, and education; the same practice may be labeled science in one era and pseudoscience in another. The theory does not abandon rigor but insists that demarcation is itself a social and historical process, not a timeless logical formula.

Historical-Dialectical Demarcation Theory Example: “His historical‑dialectical demarcation theory research showed that psychoanalysis wasn’t excluded from science solely because of falsifiability—it lost status as materialism became more reductionist and as behaviourist institutions gained power in academia.”

Historical-Dialectical Demarcation Theory by Abzugal May 1, 2026