Algot Runeman wrote:obscurantism
Pronunciation: /əbˈskyo͝orənˌtizəm, äb-, ˌäbskyəˈran- /
noun
The practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known.
Origin
mid 19th century: from earlier obscurant, denoting a person who obscures something, via German from Latin obscurant- 'making dark', from the verb obscurare.
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Guilds of old used trade secrets to hide their techniques. Obscurantism was the norm. Indentured labor often preceded advacement to journeyman and master status.
This is very strange. I just checked : this is indeed the only meaning of this word in english.
But in French this is a "faux-ami". The meaning of the french word "obscurantisme" is quite different.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obscurantisme
Pour les courants intellectuels et politiques progressistes, héritiers de la philosophie des Lumières, l’obscurantisme est une attitude d'opposition à la diffusion du savoir, dans quelque domaine que ce soit.
Reasonably good Google transition
For current progressive intellectual and political heirs of the Enlightenment, obscurantism is an attitude of opposition to the spread of knowledge in any field whatsoever.
Guilds keeping their trade secrets.... well, secret, were protecting their profession, their earnings against competitors. Still now, companies are weary about industrial espionage. Not all junior employees have access to all these secrets, or if they do they must sign some promise not to reveal them.
Keeping secret the secret meaning of "blessent mon cœur d'une langueur monotone" was an act of Resistance, definitely not "obscurantisme" in the french meaning of the word.
"Obscurantisme" in french has more to do with, say, creationism vs evolution, any deliberate attempt to prevent people to learn facts, whether scientific, historical, etc., etc... It is often associated to ultra-religious groups, but is not limited to them.
Lyssenkism was one soviet aspect of "obscurantisme".