Scientism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An excessive belief in the methods and conclusions of science as the only valid means of understanding reality and solving human problems
2. An ideology that asserts science is the ultimate source of knowledge, disregarding other forms of understanding while prioritizing empirical methods for addressing societal challenges
3. A philosophical stance that elevates scientific inquiry above all other forms of knowledge, often dismissing non-scientific perspectives as inferior and irrelevant

Etymology: The word "scientism" is built from two parts that each have a long history of their own. The first is "scient-", taken from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge, which comes from the verb "scire," to know. The second is the suffix "-ism," which in English forms nouns naming doctrines, systems, or movements, and which descends from the Greek "-ismos." Put together, the word names a belief system built around the authority of science. Its formation follows the same pattern as "scientist," which was coined in the English language in the nineteenth century, and it draws on the Latin-derived "scientific" as well. The OED records "scientism" as an English formation from these elements, so the word is best understood as a modern coinage rather than an ancient term that was carried over into English. Because the word is built from familiar parts, its meaning is transparent: it describes the attitude that scientific method is the only trustworthy route to knowledge, and that the approaches of other disciplines should be measured against it.

Synonyms: scientific method, empiricism

Antonyms: anti-scientific, pseudoscience