OPULAR MAXIMS: DOGMATISM VERSUS INTELLECTUAL FLEXIBILITY

Abstract

This paper interrogates two major dispositions to popular maxims: dogmatism and intellectual flexibility. Dogmatism, which is the more prevalent disposition, understands, uses, and accepts popular maxims as short true universal statements essentially characterized by their incontrovertibility. However, intellectual flexibility, which is the road less-travelled, simply sees popular maxims as falsifiable propositions. While this paper condemns dogmatism, it exalts intellectual flexibility. It condemns dogmatism on three points: (i) its enthronement of gullibility; (ii) its fostering of ignorance and arrogance; and (iii) its disregard for the cognitive goal of truth which every valid epistemology must strive after. It exalts intellectual flexibility on three counterpoints: (i) its awakening of the human capacity for higher-order reasoning; (ii) its fostering of intellectual humility; and (iii) its fidelity to the epistemic goal of truth. This paper, contrary to the proposal of dogmatism, argues that there is no such thing as an objectively unquestionable maxim. It presents intellectual flexibility as the ideal disposition that makes this truth visible. It concludes by recommending its cultivation as the way to go if we must have more intelligent conversations, discourses, and inquiries in the 21st century and beyond.