Epistemological consequences of scientism; from rationality to higher education system

Introduction: Scientism is one of the most fundamental concepts of modern civilization, fundamentally altering the cognitive spaces of contemporary human existence. This research is significant because many of these changes remain hidden and implicit due to their deep integration into the cultural layer of knowledge; thus, understanding modern civilization requires identifying these components embedded in public thought and culture.
Objective: The primary goal of this article is to establish scientism as a central pillar of modern civilization and to elucidate its epistemological consequences and outcomes across various domains, including rationality, philosophy, the new sciences, and the higher education system.
Methodology: This study employs a descriptive-analytical research method. By examining authoritative texts, the authors describe the impacts of scientism while focusing less on direct critique and evaluation.
4. Findings The findings indicate that scientism has been established as the dominant model of theoretical rationality in the modern West, asserting the scientific method as the sole valid criterion for knowledge. This approach has led to the hegemony of naturalism in philosophy and a mechanical and reductionist perspective in empirical sciences like medicine. Furthermore, it has marginalized non-quantitative methods in the humanities and shifted the identity of universities toward entrepreneurial and commercial models.
Conclusion: By restricting knowledge to empirical experience, scientism leaves no room for authentic philosophical inquiry and, due to its self-refuting nature, ultimately challenges the validity of empirical science itself. The final consequence is the "customization of science" based on economic or ideological interests, which erodes the fundamental goal of "discovering reality".