Scientific Naiveté
A stance where one trusts scientific authority uncritically, often conflating idealised science (the method) with institutional science (the fallible human activity). The scientifically naive person believes that “science” is a unified, value‑free, self‑correcting enterprise; that peer review guarantees truth; that published results are reliable; and that experts always agree. They are shocked by replication crises, fraud, or funding bias. Scientific naiveté is the opposite of scientific literacy: it knows the slogans but not the messy reality. It leaves one vulnerable to scientism and to manipulation by bad actors who speak in science’s name.
Scientific Naiveté Example: “The scientifically naive person cited a single study as ‘proof’ and was outraged when a later study contradicted it. They had never heard of publication bias, p‑hacking, or the replication crisis.”
Scientific Naiveté by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026