The Importance of Skepticism.

There are a number of subjects that come up in everyday conversation that seem to boil down to familiar arguments. One of the most common that I have come across is the fatuous argument that something is to be believed because it cannot be disproved. No, I am not going to go explicitly into the subject of religion again this time but it is the main offender with regard to this argument. Other offenders are things like 'alternative' medicine, astrology, faith healers, alien visitors to Earth, psychics, ghosts, auras and the power of prayer. There are more examples I am sure. The problem with the "well you can't disprove it!" argument that is so often used in defense of these propositions is the idea that the burden of proof is on those who claim not to believe in such nonsense. That is entirely backwards.

The burden of proof does not lie with the skeptic. Skepticism is vital to human progression and our understanding of the life, the world, and the universe. Skepticism is questioning ideas and propositions that have to be taken on faith. The idea that you should believe something because it cannot be disproved is ludicrous and frankly childish. If I were to claim that I have an invisible pet unicorn, what would be your reaction? Would it be "well I cannot disprove his claim so I'll believe it" or would it be "that is ridiculous, please give me a reason why I should believe such a claim"? Any thinking person with any intellectual integrity would take the latter option. It is people taking that latter option that has led to the development of the human species. Skepticism has led to breakthroughs in medicine, evolutionary biology, physics, technology, and mathematics to name a few.

These propositions persist through the ages, so that must give them some credibility, right? Wrong. As long as humans have existed, stupid humans have existed, and as long as stupid humans have existed, people willing to exploit their stupidity have existed. This is why junk pseudo-science sticks around. Nobody seems to point out that alternative medicine that has been scientifically tested and proved to be effective has become medicine. It gets prescribed by doctors who have a rich knowledge and education. Homeopathy, on the other hand, has never been proved to be any more effective than a placebo. Who in their right mind would choose unproved superstition over proven medicine as their first choice to deal with their health? Only those whose faculty for skepticism is severely impaired.

It is the same with astrology. While this is admittedly harmless and, for most people, just a bit of fun it has roots in the same problem. It only survives through the suspension of the critical faculties of the brain and taking things on faith. No one who believes in it has any problem with the fact that the zodiac was completed before some of the planets in our solar system had been discovered. For something that is dependent on the position of planets I would say that the fact that it has not changed since the discovery of new planets is a serious problem.

My point is that the burden of proof does not lie with the skeptic. I feel no need to try to disprove any of these propositions. There is simply not enough evidence to support them. It baffles me that so many people do not take this attitude. Operating in certainty is something I cannot comprehend. Skepticism and asking questions are therefore, in my opinion, vital to human existence and progress. It is why I have a question mark tattooed on my skin. Without this capacity we, as a species, could very easily have joined the 99.8% of species who have ever populated this planet in extinction.