Theory of Science as a Religion and Ideology

The theory that science, in practice, often functions like a religion or ideology—providing a framework of ultimate beliefs, a community of believers, rituals of validation, mechanisms of exclusion, and claims to authority that exceed its actual epistemic warrant. The theory doesn't claim that science is just a religion; it claims that science can function like one, especially when it becomes a marker of identity, a source of meaning, or a basis for dismissing other ways of knowing. When "science says" is used as an unquestionable authority, when skepticism of scientific consensus is treated as heresy, when scientific institutions function as priesthoods—science has taken on religious characteristics. The theory is a critique of scientism, not of science—a warning against treating science as something it's not.

Theory of Science as a Religion and Ideology Example: "He treated every scientific consensus as infallible dogma, every skeptic as a heretic. The Theory of Science as a Religion and Ideology explained what he'd become: not a scientist, but a believer. Science wasn't his method; it was his faith."

Theory of Science as a Religion and Ideology by Abzugal March 9, 2026