Scientific skepticism

With " skeptic movement " (more commonly " skeptics " ) denote media in German-speaking countries a transnational network of groups and individuals with the aim of a critical examination of superstitious, alternative medicine or religious topics, which they assign the pseudo- and para-scientific. As the term is used in connection with a movement of the members. The members of the skeptic movement represented a naturalistic position. Statements about the existence of entities or nature in general are therefore possible only through the totality of scientific laws. From skepticism in philosophy, the positions differ in that they do not provide the possibility of a comprehensive knowledge of reality and truth into question, but criticize views whose empirical basis is questionable and has not been studied scientifically.

History

In 1947, the Comité pour l' Investigation Scientifique of Phénomènes reputes paranormaux was just founded the Comité Para in Belgium, the confrontation with psychics, astrologers and diviners devoted himself, who promised after the end of World War II to help in the search for war missing. An early publication, which can be expected to the origins of the skeptic movement, is Martin Gardner's Fads and Fallacies in 1957 published book in the Name of Science.

Paul Kurtz founded after a 1975 published by 186 scientists signed manifesto against astrological explanations and after the confrontation with Michel Gauquelin's Mars effect in 1976, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal ( CSICOP ), now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Founding member was the sociologist Marcello Truzzi, who published a magazine called The Zetetic, circulated among interested academics and was expanded in 1975 to an information platform on paranormal explanations and its critique. Following the resignation of Truzzis the editorship it became the association's journal of CSICOP under the title Skeptical Inquirer and the editorship Kendrick Frazier ( previously editor of Science News ). Besides his work in the skeptic Association Kurtz is also the Chairman of atheistic Council for Secular Humanism and Managing Director of the publishing house Prometheus Books.

The Skeptics Society, probably the largest such group in the U.S., was founded in 1991 by Michael Shermer, Pat lens and Kim target Shermer.

Characteristics and Methodology

The skeptic movement is derived from the history of ideas from naturalism and relies on scientific methods, some of their representatives are avowed agnostics or atheists. The skeptics movement represents the goal of explaining the fundamental intersubjective verifiability of any statements relating to the criterion of the scientific nature of a statement. Subject are often allegations, which appear to be implausible, dubious or clearly contrary to established scientific explanations. Common themes treated by members of the skeptic movement are parapsychology, dowsing, astrology, homeopathy, tarot, alien abductions, extra-sensory perceptions, but also religöse dogmas such as reincarnation, which are often referred to by the skeptic movement as pseudoscience. They also criticize conspiracy theories, such as those relating to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Among the former and active skeptics, there are several prominent scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould or BF Skinner. Other members, such as the magician James Randi has been known by the public discussion of the allegations in these areas. After many members of the skeptic movement considers so-called pseudo-sciences are not only unscientific, but represent a real threat dar. Inspired by Bertrand Russell, some argue that people who rely on faith in the supernatural, would be led to harmful or destructive actions. James Randi designated by him criticized para-scientific theories as fraud and tried to demonstrate in the individual case studies that protagonists of the so-called pseudo-sciences know that their claims are false. There go them just about making money.

Associations

Skeptics associations are organized on an international level in the International Network of Skeptical Organizations in Europe in the European Council of Skeptical Organisations ( ECSO ), an umbrella organization founded in 1995.

In Germany, the Company is for the scientific investigation of para-science ( GWUP ) the most important skeptic organization.

Criticism

Faith communities

In the critique of superstitious views, the positions of the Christian churches and the skeptic movement are similar to negative. However, the churches criticize the naturalistic worldview that underlies the views of the skeptics movement history of ideas, even if not all skeptics are necessarily atheists. The Protestant Centre for Religious and Ideological Issues indicates that a naturalistic worldview that claimed to be able to scientifically comprehensive and fully explain the mystery of life, is incompatible with the Christian faith.

Scientist

The term pseudoscience is used by the U.S. skeptic organization Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the GWUP with some derogatory and exclusionary intent. In the epistemological discussion is, however, sometimes denied that a term such as pseudo- science is accurate ausarbeitbar. The philosopher of science Larry Laudan and the sociologist and GWUP critic Edgar Wunder speak of " empty phrases " and fight only terms with emotional weight and without analytical content.

The chemist Ed Storms spoke on the occasion of the Third International Conference on Cold Fusion ( ICCF3 ) in Nagoya, Japan in October 1992 by " pathological skepticism ". Around the same time the early 90s had Truzzi CSICOP accused of exclusionary tendencies towards meta-, para- and pseudo-sciences and spoke of the "pseudo - skepticism ," which so many scientists practice, which could indeed statuieren what is empirically unlikely, but not what empirically impossible is.

As part of an internal dispute within the club GWUP left in 1999 the co-founder and former chief editor of their official publication skeptics Edgar Wunder and two other members of the leading German skeptics organization. Wonder used in a GWUP critical writing the term " skeptic syndrome ".