A popular claim made by many proponents of various pseudoscience, and often quite proudly, is that science is not equipped to study their particular pet belief. This can be in the form of a psychic saying that ESP doesnt work in the presence of skeptics, mediums who say ghosts only show themselves to believers, or a dualist who claims the scientific method is too rigid and unimaginative to study spiritual consciousness. In any case, they never seem to go on and explain how their chosen system is any better. Astute skeptics will recognize this as special pleading, but what is someone really saying when they say science/skepticism is not an appropriate mindset to investigate the knowledge they claim to have? They are saying that when we attempt to clear our minds of bias and carefully check our methods for mistakes, when we most fully rely on logic, sincere reasoning and candid observation, when intellectual honesty is at its peak and self deception is at its lowest, this is not a good time to look at my belief. This isnt really a check in the pros column for me.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 13:58:02 +0000
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