Difference between revisions of "Epistemic closure"
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(Created page with "category:manipulative tools category:concepts ==About== Epistemic closure is a manipulative tool for promoting ideological protectionism. With the goal of ge...") |
(rewrite -- better definition, to start with) |
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| + | <hide> | ||
| + | [[page type::article]] | ||
| + | [[thing type::concept]] [[thing type::manipulative tool]] | ||
[[category:manipulative tools]] | [[category:manipulative tools]] | ||
[[category:concepts]] | [[category:concepts]] | ||
| + | </hide> | ||
==About== | ==About== | ||
| − | [[Epistemic closure]] is a [[ | + | [[Epistemic closure]] is a condition in which a given population has access only to a body of centrally-approved information, with the goal of convincing said population that a certain [[closed belief system|set of beliefs]] is true, [[ideological protectionism|despite evidence]] to the contrary. |
| − | + | ===Methods=== | |
| − | + | It achieves this goal by: | |
| − | * | + | * immersing the audience in a body of works which all agree on the target belief |
| − | * discouraging the audience from consulting any sources outside this body by using [[emotional argument]]s (e.g. | + | ** ...where said works frequently cite and cross-reference each other, to encourage the idea that the target beliefs are widely-held and not seriously disputed |
| − | + | * discouraging the audience from consulting any sources outside this body by using [[emotional argument]]s (e.g. stating that non-approved works are untrustworthy, immoral, or harmful, or that taking non-approved works seriously may result in [[ostracism]]) | |
| − | + | ===Habitat=== | |
| + | Epistemic closure is found frequently in [[US conservative]] philosophy and punditry, as well as in many [[religion]]s. | ||
Revision as of 15:25, 28 August 2011
About
Epistemic closure is a condition in which a given population has access only to a body of centrally-approved information, with the goal of convincing said population that a certain set of beliefs is true, despite evidence to the contrary.
Methods
It achieves this goal by:
- immersing the audience in a body of works which all agree on the target belief
- ...where said works frequently cite and cross-reference each other, to encourage the idea that the target beliefs are widely-held and not seriously disputed
- discouraging the audience from consulting any sources outside this body by using emotional arguments (e.g. stating that non-approved works are untrustworthy, immoral, or harmful, or that taking non-approved works seriously may result in ostracism)
Habitat
Epistemic closure is found frequently in US conservative philosophy and punditry, as well as in many religions.