CF Dictionary A reference for Critical Fallibilism

CF Dictionary · Knowledge & Epistemology

Authoritarianism (epistemic)

The epistemic view that some source — tradition, authority, or revelation — provides certain knowledge. CF rejects this.

Epistemic authoritarianism is the view that some source — a person, an institution, a tradition, a sacred text — can deliver knowledge that is certain or specially authoritative. CF, with CR, rejects all forms:

  • Authoritarian rulers. "The king knows."
  • Majority opinion. "Everyone agrees, so it must be true."
  • Expert deference. "Trust the expert." (See appeal-to-authority.)
  • Religious authority. "The text says."
  • Ideology. "The Party is correct."

Why CF rejects authoritarianism

  1. It violates fallibilism. No source is infallible.
  2. It blocks error-correction. Criticism is silenced.
  3. It violates content-based judgment. Ideas should be judged by their arguments, not their source.
  4. The history is catastrophic. Authoritarian epistemology is the parent of authoritarian politics.

The CF replacement

CF replaces deference with Paths Forward: anyone can offer criticism, and you evaluate it by content, not by who said it.

"Ideas should be judged by their content, not their source." — criticalfallibilism.com