Religious absolutism and ideological absolutism are close cousins—different costumes, same nervous system. The core issue in both is certainty fused with identity.
Here’s a clean way to distinguish and connect them:
Religious Absolutism
Definition:
The belief that one sacred doctrine (God, scripture, revelation, prophet) holds total and final truth, beyond question or revision.
Psychological markers:
- Truth is revealed, not discovered
- Doubt = moral failure or spiritual danger
- Authority is external (God, scripture, clergy)
- Identity = “I am right because God says so”
Function:
Provides existential safety, moral clarity, and group cohesion—especially under threat.
Shadow side:
- Suppression of inquiry
- Moralization of disagreement
- Justification of harm “for a higher good”
Ideological Absolutism
Definition:
The belief that one explanatory framework (political, scientific, moral, social) fully accounts for reality and must be universally applied.
Psychological markers:
- Truth is derived, but treated as unquestionable
- Dissent = ignorance, pathology, or evil
- Authority is abstract (Reason, Science, History, Progress)
- Identity = “I am right because reality demands it”
Function:
Offers predictability, control, and moral certainty in complex systems.
Shadow side:
- Reduction of humans to categories
- Dehumanization of dissenters
- Dogmatism disguised as rationality
The Shared Core (This is the key)
Both are expressions of epistemic closure under threat.
When:
- uncertainty is intolerable
- identity is fused to belief
- social belonging depends on agreement
…absolutism emerges.
It is less about what is believed and more about how the belief is held.
A Simple Litmus Test
Ask one question:
“What would count as evidence that I might be wrong?”
- If the answer is “nothing” → absolutism
- If the answer is “only my side can define that” → absolutism
- If the answer is specific, revisable, and dialogical → not absolutism
Developmental Lens (important)
Absolutism often corresponds to:
- Early-stage meaning systems
- Trauma-based threat regulation
- High shame or fear of chaos
It’s not stupidity or evil—it’s a safety strategy.
Healthy Alternative (in one line)
Conviction without closure.
Strong values, open epistemology.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 