Beliefs are fundamental to thought, which is necessary to drive the development and evolution of ideas. Beliefs are based in the entire spectrum of thinking from the loftiest of ideals to present matters of circumstance…whether philosophy, religion, or practical inquiry. When we advance intelligent and systematic treatment of ideas, we reveal greater truths. Which it seems has never been an exclusive property held by one system of thought.
I'm not sure what is meant by "American Fundamentalism" but it seems to me "Religious Dogma" is a term closer to your target. Dogma is a fixed belief or set of beliefs people are expected to accept without any doubts. That is where most systems of thought are problematic, because certainty is not a natural condition of human thinking. Such an expectation, therefore, is bound to force a human being to compromise their will to think freely, which is damaging to one's psyche.
Religions, philosophies etc have well known dogma; it is here (dogma) where those thought systems are most vulnerable, for the reason given above. Declarations of certainty always expose weakness. Lest atheists get too cocky over this, atheism has dogma too: "The universe is self-existing and self created, the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, life began as a result of spontaneous generation, Mankind is a result of organic evolution, Morality is an artificial construct of humans-there is no transcendent moral standard, religion and religious belief/dogma is harmful to human development, religion is antithetical to reason, etc" |
