What Is Skepticism? | Wondrium Perspectives

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What does it mean to be a “skeptic”? While it can sometimes mean to be critical of dubious claims, like miracle cures and fad diets, it also refers to a philosophical belief that some knowledge can’t be attained. For example, how do we know the world is real? Are my eyes showing me an accurate representation of what’s around me?

In this episode of Perspectives, five experts discuss these different kinds of skepticism and, surprisingly enough, where they meet.

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Clips in this video are from the following series on Wondrium:

Theories of Knowledge: How to Think about What You Know, presented by Joseph H. Shieber

Mind-Body Philosophy, presented by Patrick Grim

The Big Questions of Philosophy, presented by David Kyle Johnson

How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision-Making, presented by Ryan Hamilton

The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media, presented by Dr. Roy Benaroch

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Table of Contents:

00:00 What Is Skepticism?
02:15 Radical Skepticism with Rene Descartes
03:59 A Discussion about Empiricism
06:46 What Is Scientific Skepticism?
08:31 The Importance of Everyday Skepticism

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Wondrium Perspectives is hosted by Rich Bernett.
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#skepticism

[tracierendell]

Thank you so much for highlighting exactly what to look for in press releases. I had no idea how to ascertain if information is credible or not. I now know what language to be on the look out for.

[UncleBildo]

Phantom pains, there is a subject that would freak the hell out of most people. As a 35 plus year lower leg amputee, I could write a pretty lengthy tome on it. From the lightest tickle, to parts being ripped off, the missing limb can ape the feelings. Itches are almost worse than the pains, but have had phantom pains make me squeal as much as the real stuff. It'd be interesting to actually understand that whole thing. So far the best guesses I've heard at causation was sorta foggy for me at best. Right now, feels like there's a bug chewing the fuzz under the big toenail that ain't there, on the foot that also ain't there. Same time, feels like a spider crawling up the front outside of my it literally NEVER ends. Always happy when it's little ones! There's something for you to tackle, that YOU brought up first! Uncle Bildo

[infinitumneo]

This is an interesting topic that impacts our daily lives. I would also consider statistical information, Bayes Theorem and meta analysis in order to obtain a more accurate view of what is true even in peer review studies. We aren't the most logically inclined of creators to say the least.

[Nevermore]

No, it is not by reason and reason alone nor is it of or for a human reason. Reality is the indubitable transcendental constant that is the pre-cursor of everything there is, including the mind - human or otherwise.

[estranhokonsta]

In the land of the fool and lazy, the skeptic man is king.

[RodMartinJr]

*_Flawed Logic!_* Love Locke; question some of the conclusions *_about_* skepticism. Skepticism is a *_biased_* paradigm which attempts to restrain the researcher from jumping to an erroneous conclusion before all of the needed data is acquired. Accepting that empirical data requires that the researcher remain humble to that data and its valid implications. But notice, *_restraint and humility_* are NOT biased toward the topic or hypothesis being tested, yet skepticism *_is_* biased! Could it be that *_restraint and humility_* are a far better paradigm for discovery?

Take, for instance, the "warm and fuzzy" feeling about "peer review." *_Albert Einstein_* hated the idea! Peer Review is an artificial gatekeeper which frequently *_blocks_* important discoveries from being published! The Climate Gate fiasco is only one of countless examples of this problem; Phil Jones and friends were found guilty, but the statute of limitations had run out. And the many "tribunals" which investigated the secretive collaborators and found them to be "innocent, " used flawed methods, like getting their reading material *_only_* from the accused! (Groan!)

Skepticism contains the potent, *_negative bias_* of "doubt." Why doubt a claim, when you can merely observe the claim with restraint and humility? This new paradigm eliminates the "jumping" *_without_* the use of bias! And *_Scientific Method_* implores us to give up all biases.

Skepticism tends to work well when combating the youthful, cocky enthusiasm of a fresh university graduate (positive bias), but counteracting one bias with another is clumsy and unsophisticated, at best. Use restraint and humility for a non-biased approach to discovery. Too often, researchers mangle skepticism by focusing on doubt, and end up committing one or more logical fallacies, like,
* Unsupported dismissiveness (Appeal to the Stone)
* Self-indulgent ridicule (Ad Hominem, Appeal to Ridicule, Appeal to Emotion)
* Blind certainty based on self's knowledge (Argument from Ignorance)
We see these problems throughout the sciences; no discipline has remained untouched by these corruptions of logic.

REFERENCES:
*_The Structure of Scientific Revolutions_* by Thomas S. Kuhn
*_The Logical Christian_* (hardcover)
*_The Science of Miracles_* (hardcover, paperback, ebook)
*_Mission: Atlantis_* (hardcover, paperback, ebook)