Dictionaries define dogma as a statement taken on faith; this is a truth that does not require proof. According to Dahl, the dogmatic presentation of any scientific work presupposes its completeness and opposition to the historical, developing one. A scientist or writer who operates with such truths may well be called a dogmatist.
Dogmatic method
In the history of philosophy, the dogmatic direction of thought has been known since Hellenism. Dogmatics is, in the philosophy of that time, the use of positive statements in describing the world. Unlike the dogmatists, the skeptics questioned everything.
The concept of dogmatism is associated, first of all, with a specific method that allows, using the means of logic developed by Aristotle, to draw obvious conclusions on the basis of non-obvious premises. The main postulates of the method are the identity between being and its reflection in the human mind; the phenomenon of the external world and its meaning; and also in self-sufficiency of thinking.
Hegel himself considered his system dogmatic, as he used the mental apparatus as the highest method of obtaining prooftruth.
A dogmatist is a defender of dogmas
In everyday life, dogmas are called concepts divorced from reality, which, being taken as the ultimate truth, are used by their apologists to refute everything that contradicts them.
This approach can be found in any area of life: in the family, in an educational institution, in politics, etc. And it is far from always harmless. Dogmatism has consequences known to all: delusions, prejudices, prejudices. They interfere with an adequate perception of reality and effective activity.
In any authoritarian society, being dogmatic is considered good form. However, when social changes begin, such people have a hard time, as they have to learn to think differently, get used to independence.
Dogmatics is stability
Nevertheless, the absence of a system of dogmas that determine the functioning of a particular social structure may threaten its stability. From this position, the existence of the state is determined by legal dogma. This is the totality of all established legal norms in force in the territory of a given country, and in addition, the activities of lawyers in interpreting and maintaining it.
Only based on legal dogmatics, legal evidence as such should be built and legal science can develop.
The nature of dogmatism
The roots of dogmatism should be sought in human nature itself, considering them from the standpoint of sociology,neurophysiology and psychology.
First of all, it is a social inertia that captures large masses of people, keeping their minds in the labyrinth of obsolete dogmas. It manifests itself when there are no traditions in society of critical reflection on reality, when people are not taught from childhood to think and evaluate events taking place in the world, but behavioral clichés and stereotypes are massively instilled.
From a neuroscientific point of view, the fact that an organism is able to effectively use the experience gained ensures its survival in the future. Activity in the present depends both on accumulated experience and on the ability to set goals, that is, it is determined simultaneously from the past and the desired future. At the level of the brain, this process is provided by a specific neural structure - an engram. She is responsible for the inertia of thinking and behavior.
It should also be noted that all these processes, as a rule, are not realized. It is for this reason that it is so difficult to get rid of the dogmatic belief system that guides behavior.
Therefore, we can say that a dogmatist is a person stuck in the past.
Where is the truth?
How does a dogmatist prove his case? This, according to the ancient lovers of wisdom, occurs in the form of an affirmative monologue. The dialecticians built the proof differently, preferring to ask questions in free discussion.
Dogmatist, even if he asks, then rather rhetorically, not expecting a constructive answer. His question might sound something like this: “Did you see what this guy did?idiot?”
An unwavering dogmatist is a person who has an established belief system that allows him to prove himself right, even if the facts say otherwise. Truth, by definition, cannot be born in a dispute with a real dogmatist - he either affirms it or rejects it.
Portrait of a dogmatist
As a rule, a dogmatist is slow-witted. That is why it is difficult for him to participate in disputes. He needs to work out his speech in advance, do homework so that all theses are supported by weighty arguments. He prefers to move from idea to empiricism, but not vice versa. Thought for him is actually objective. At its extreme, dogmatism can resemble paranoia, but more often falls under the definition of a "mentor" or "learned donkey."
But in the general case, a dogmatist is always a philosopher who tries to link together disparate facts that fall into his field of vision. To negotiate with him, you need to look for common ground and not give him the opportunity to get personal. It's difficult, but achievable. The main thing is to remain calm and friendly.
