Absolutism

Meaning, in this case, the tendency to make absolute statements, e.g. X is always wrong, or incorrect; anyone who believes Y is ignorant, etc. I may be imagining things, but this seems to be a growing tendency, in politics, in religion, in society. Is there something about this time which engenders this folly? We only know Socrates through Plato and a few others, but if those accounts are true, he was admirable, at least, in admitting he knew nothing. But, there are so many, now, who claim to know all, at least as to certain subjects. And, they do so loudly, even belligerently. Have we actually come to believe in our own intelligence? If we were intelligent, the most we could claim is that we are justified in applying intelligence to the solution of problems.