What does obscurantism mean?
Definitions for obscurantism
əbˈskyʊər ənˌtɪz əm, ˌɒb skyʊˈræn tɪz əmob·scu·ran·tism
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word obscurantism.
Princeton's WordNet
obscurantismnoun
a policy of opposition to enlightenment or the spread of knowledge
obscurantismnoun
a deliberate act intended to make something obscure
Wiktionary
obscurantismnoun
A state of opposition to human progress or enlightenment.
obscurantismnoun
Being deliberately obscure or vague.
Etymology: From obscurans, present participle of obscuro + -ism
Wikipedia
Obscurantism
In philosophy, the terms obscurantism and obscurationism describe the anti-intellectual practices of deliberately presenting information in an abstruse and imprecise manner that limits further inquiry and understanding of a subject. There are two historical and intellectual denotations of obscurantism: (1) the deliberate restriction of knowledge—opposition to the dissemination of knowledge; and (2) deliberate obscurity—a recondite style of writing characterized by deliberate vagueness.The term obscurantism derives from the title of the 16th-century satire Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum (Letters of Obscure Men, 1515–1519), which was based upon the intellectual dispute between the German Catholic humanist Johann Reuchlin and the monk Johannes Pfefferkorn of the Dominican Order, about whether or not all Jewish books should be burned as un-Christian heresy. Earlier, in 1509, the monk Pfefferkorn had obtained permission from Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1486–1519), to burn all copies of the Talmud (Jewish law and Jewish ethics) known to be in the Holy Roman Empire (AD 926–1806); the Letters of Obscure Men satirized the Dominican arguments for burning un-Christian works. In the 18th century, Enlightenment philosophers applied the term obscurantist to any enemy of intellectual enlightenment and the liberal diffusion of knowledge. In the 19th century, in distinguishing the varieties of obscurantism found in metaphysics and theology from the "more subtle" obscurantism of the critical philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and of modern philosophical skepticism, Friedrich Nietzsche said: "The essential element in the black art of obscurantism is not that it wants to darken individual understanding, but that it wants to blacken our picture of the world, and darken our idea of existence."
ChatGPT
obscurantism
Obscurantism refers to the practice of deliberately presenting information in an imprecise, abstruse, and convoluted manner to limit understanding or prevent knowledge from being shared or disclosed. It is often motivated by the desire to control, manipulate, or keep certain truths hidden from people. It can occur in various fields, like politics, religion, philosophy, science, or art.
Webster Dictionary
Obscurantismnoun
the system or the principles of the obscurants
Wikidata
Obscurantism
Obscurantism is the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or the full details of some matter from becoming known. There are two common historical and intellectual denotations to Obscurantism: deliberately restricting knowledge—opposition to the spread of knowledge, a policy of withholding knowledge from the public; and, deliberate obscurity—an abstruse style characterized by deliberate vagueness. The term obscurantism derives from the title of the 16th-century satire Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum, based upon the intellectual dispute between the German humanist Johann Reuchlin and Dominican monks, such as Johannes Pfefferkorn, about whether or not all Jewish books should be burned as un–Christian. Earlier, in 1509, the monk Pfefferkorn had obtained permission from Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, to incinerate all copies of the Talmud known to be in the Holy Roman Empire; the Letters of Obscure Men satirized the Dominican monks' arguments at burning "un–Christian" works. In the 18th century, Enlightenment philosophers used the term "obscurantism" to denote the enemies of the Enlightenment, and its concept of the liberal diffusion of knowledge. Moreover, in the 19th century, in distinguishing the varieties of obscurantism found in metaphysics and theology from the "more subtle" obscurantism of the critical philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and of modern philosophical skepticism, Friedrich Nietzsche said: "The essential element in the black art of obscurantism is not that it wants to darken individual understanding, but that it wants to blacken our picture of the world, and darken our idea of existence."
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of obscurantism in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of obscurantism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
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Translations for obscurantism
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"obscurantism." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/obscurantism>.
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