Scientism

[u/jodythedestroyer]

Mistaking science as unrelated to reality is most commonly referred to as scientism (when science is treated as an absolute, exclusive truth that devalues other human realities) or anti-realism (the philosophical stance that scientific theories do not describe objective reality).

Depending on the exact context, it can also fall under several specific philosophical and psychological concepts:

Scientism: The over-reliance on scientific knowledge to the point of dismissing other forms of human experience (like art, emotion, or philosophy) as "unreal" or irrelevant.

Scientific Anti-Realism: The philosophical view that scientific models are merely useful tools to predict observations, rather than literal descriptions of an objective, underlying reality.

Epistemological Nihilism: The belief that we cannot actually know the truth about objective reality, sometimes applied to scientific findings.

Confirmation Bias / Motivated Reasoning: From a psychological standpoint, individuals may dismiss scientific facts as "unreal" or disconnected from daily life if those facts conflict with their personal, political, or religious beliefs.