What is dogma?
As formulated within the “Deconstruction of Reality” project, the following definition of dogma is based on historical and philosophical analysis:
Dogma (from Greek δόγμα — opinion, decree) is a statement, principle, or position that is accepted within a particular system of beliefs or community as an unconditional truth, not subject to critical examination or revision within that system.
Commentary
Dogma functions as a semantic and methodological “stop sign” within a framework — it is protected from scrutiny by the very structure of the system. For adherents, dogma appears self-evident or even as a necessary foundation for order, while from the outside, it may be seen as an arbitrary constraint on thinking or even as an absurdity.
Dogma maintains the stability of a system and ensures internal consistency, but at the same time, it can block development and close off the path to new meanings if its status becomes untouchable.
Dogma can stabilize group identity, but its uncritical acceptance makes radical rethinking of the foundations impossible.