Food Blog: Beware the cults of “scientism” and “credentialism”

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Beware the cults of “scientism” and “credentialism”

Hey there,

Many people imagine the scientific community as a monolithic battalion of unbiased and upright experts selflessly searching for new and better ways to understand and exploit reality for the betterment of all humankind.

If only.

Scientific theories have usually evolved like this:

1. Problems with existing paradigms arise.

2. Contradictory evidence is ignored or rationalized away until eventually the defects become so numerous and obvious that the discipline is thrown into crisis.

3. New explanations are adopted as the accepted norms.

Hence the topic of this email:

Beware the cults of scientism (excessive belief in the power of scientific knowledge and techniques) and credentialism (belief in or reliance on academic or other formal qualifications as the best measure of a person's intelligence or ability to do a particular job).

Especially in health and fitness.

Here's why: