Skeptic Fundamentalism
A rigid adherence to a particular version of skepticism (often that of the 19th-century freethinkers or the new atheists) that treats any deviation as heresy. Skeptic fundamentalism rejects not only pseudoscience but also agnosticism, Bayesian epistemology, and even moderate skepticism as "weak." It often demands absolute certainty and treats probability as cowardice. It is skepticism as an unquestionable orthodoxy.
Example: "He declared that 'skeptics must never say maybe'—skeptic fundamentalism, confusing certainty with rigor."
Skeptic Dogmatism
The tendency to treat skeptical conclusions (e.g., "ESP is impossible") as proven facts, rather than as provisional findings subject to revision. Skeptic dogmatism shuts down investigation by declaring certain questions already answered, and it often dismisses anomalous evidence without examination. It is the opposite of genuine skepticism, which remains open to new evidence. Dogmatic skepticism is just another form of belief.
Example: "When shown preliminary evidence for psi, he said 'that's impossible' without looking—skeptic dogmatism, prejudice disguised as rationality."
Skeptic Dogmatism
The tendency to treat skeptical conclusions (e.g., "ESP is impossible") as proven facts, rather than as provisional findings subject to revision. Skeptic dogmatism shuts down investigation by declaring certain questions already answered, and it often dismisses anomalous evidence without examination. It is the opposite of genuine skepticism, which remains open to new evidence. Dogmatic skepticism is just another form of belief.
Example: "When shown preliminary evidence for psi, he said 'that's impossible' without looking—skeptic dogmatism, prejudice disguised as rationality."
Skeptic Fundamentalism by Dumu The Void April 18, 2026
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