A term with three interrelated meanings. First, the science of ideology: the study of how ideologies form, function, and reproduce, using scientific methods (e.g., political psychology, sociology of knowledge). Second, the ideology of science: the set of beliefs about science itself—that it is value‑free, that it progresses inevitably, that it is the only reliable path to truth—which functions as an ideology even when science is practiced well. Third, science as ideology: when scientific claims, methods, or institutions are used not as tools of inquiry but as weapons to legitimize power, exclude dissent, or naturalize social hierarchies. In this sense, science becomes indistinguishable from other ideologies, demanding belief rather than investigation.
Example: “When he said ‘science says’ and refused to discuss methodology, he was practicing ideological science—using the authority of science to end debate rather than to open inquiry.”
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 30, 2026
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