Rational Supremacism

The belief that rationality—defined narrowly as analytical, calculative, means‑end reasoning—is the supreme human capacity, superior to emotion, intuition, embodiment, or spirituality. The rational supremacist holds that any decision, belief, or action that cannot be justified through rational argument is automatically inferior, and that those who rely on other modes are less developed. This attitude often leads to dismissing entire cultures, art forms, and personal experiences as “irrational” and therefore worthless. It is a form of cognitive hierarchy that mistakes one tool for the master.

Example: “He argued that poetry was useless because it didn’t convey factual information—rational supremacism, measuring all human activity by the narrowest definition of reason.”

Rational Supremacism by Dumu The Void April 18, 2026