22 November 2015
dogma
[dawg-muh, dog-]
noun, plural dogmas or (Rare) dogmata [dawg-muh-tuh]
1. an official system of principles or tenets concerning faith, morals, behavior, etc., as of a church.
Synonyms: doctrine, teachings, set of beliefs, philosophy.
2. a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church: the dogma of the Assumption;
the recently defined dogma of papal infallibility.
Synonyms: tenet, canon, law.
3. prescribed doctrine proclaimed as unquestionably true by a particular group:
the difficulty of resisting political dogma.
4. a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle:
the classic dogma of objectivity in scientific observation.
Synonyms: conviction, certainty.
Origin of dogma
Latin
1590-1600; < Latin < Greek, equivalent to dok (eîn) to seem, think, seem good + -ma noun suffix
Word story
At the turn of the 17th century, dogma entered English from the Latin term meaning “philosophical tenet.” The Greek word from which it is borrowed means “that which one thinks is true,” and comes ultimately from the Greek dokeîn, which means “to seem good” or “think.”
The origin of the word dogma acts as a reminder to English speakers that now established principles and doctrines were once simply thoughts and opinions of ordinary people that gained popularity and eventually found their way into the universal consciousness of society. Twentieth-century American academic and aphorist Mason Cooley concisely observed that “Under attack, sentiments harden into dogma,” suggesting that dogma is spawned as a defensive act. This idea implies that for every dogma that exists, there is a counter dogma. With so many “truths” out there, there is sure to be a dogma to conveniently fit every set of beliefs.
Popular references
— Dogma: A film written and directed by Kevin Smith, released in 1999.
—Dogma 95: A movement in cinema started by Danish director Lars von Trier in 1995, which established filmmaking constraints such as no use of special effects.
Related Quotations Expand
“Let it be understood once for all that Catholic dogma does not fix a limit to the operations of reason in dealing with divine truth.“
—A. N. Littlejohn, “Catholic Dogma: Its Nature and Obligations“ Catholic Dogma (1892)
“Since the time of Moses Mendelssohn (1728–1786), the chief Jewish dogma has been that Judaism has no dogmas.“
—Israel Abrahams, Judaism (1907)
“To me there was no question so important as the emancipation of women from the dogmas of the past, political, religious, and social.“
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eighty years and more: Reminiscences 1815-1897 (1898)
“Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.“
—Steve Jobs, “Commencement Address at Stanford University“ American Rhetoric (delivered June 12, 2005)
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for dogma
Contemporary Examples
The fact that those who utter the dogma still support groups that oppose it matters little.
Bad Faith on Two States
Shaul Magid
June 3, 2012
Had Herx said “this dogma is sexist,” that would be well beyond the reach of the courts.
Catholic Church: Religious Freedom Trumps Civil Rights
Jay Michaelson
November 22, 2014
Today’s quote
Every dogma has its day.
– Anthony Burgess
Anagram
go mad
On this day
22 November 1819 – birth of Mary Ann Evans. One of England’s greatest novelists, she published under the name ‘George Eliot’ in order to be taken seriously. Some of her novels include ‘Adam Bede’, ‘Mill on the Floss’, ‘Silas Marner’, and ‘Daniel Deronda’. Her novel, ‘Middlemarch’, was described as the greatest novel in the English language. Died 22 December 1880.
22 November 1906 – the use of the morse code signal ‘SOS’ is implemented as a global distress call. The SOS signal is three dots, three dashes and three dots
(· · · — — — · · ·)
22 November 1963 – assassination of John F. Kennedy. 35th president of the United States. Born 29 May 1917.
22 November 1963 – death of Aldous Huxley, English writer. Most famous for his vision of the future, ‘Brave New World’, as well as his work ‘The Doors of Perception’, based on his use of psychedelic drugs. Jim Morrison named his 60’s psychedelic rock band, ‘The Doors’ after Huxley’s book. Born 26 July 1894.
22 November 1963 – death of C.S. Lewis, Irish novelist, author of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Screwtape Letters’. Born 29 November 1898.
22 November 1990 – UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher forced to resign by her own Cabinet who refused to endorse her as leader. She had come to power in 1979 and had become known as the ‘Iron Lady’. She is the longest-serving UK Prime Minister and the only female to hold the post. She fought numerous battles with unions over her economic and deregulation reforms. She introduced a ‘Community Charge’ or ‘Poll Tax’, which replaced rates with a flat-tax rate on every adult. It was extremely unpopular even within her own Cabinet and was a crucial catalyst for her disendorsement and subsequent resignation.
22 November 1993 – death of Anthony Burgess, English writer. Most famous for his dystopian novel, ‘The Clockwork Orange’, which Stanley Kubrick made into a controversial movie. Born 25 February 1917.