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Skepticism about the paranormal: legitimate and illegitimate
1Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, Buffalo, New York 14215.
Experientia
|April 15, 1988
Summary
Skepticism is crucial for evaluating paranormal claims. Selective skepticism, a scientific method, requires evidence and open inquiry, unlike negative skepticism.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Parapsychology
Background:
- Belief in the paranormal is increasing.
- Skepticism is essential for scientific appraisal of extraordinary claims.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate forms of skepticism.
- To highlight the role of selective skepticism in scientific inquiry, particularly in the paranormal field.
Main Methods:
- Distinguishing between negative/total skepticism and selective skepticism.
- Examining the historical application of skepticism across various fields.
- Analyzing the requirements for accepting paranormal claims within a skeptical framework.
Main Results:
- Negative skepticism is self-defeating and dogmatic.
- Selective skepticism serves as a methodological principle, emphasizing evidence and openness.
- The paranormal field historically contains fraud, necessitating rigorous empirical validation.
Conclusions:
- Selective skepticism is a vital tool for scientific progress.
- Claims in the paranormal field require replicable experiments and neutral observation for acceptance.