Skeptics

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120 members| 63 shouts

Leader: Waldheri
Join Policy: Open
Created on: 22 Jan 2008
Description:
The last.fm Skeptics group: Truth through doubt.

A group to serve as a platform for intellectual discourse between the core members, skeptics and rationlists, and otherminded people. The forum...

The Last.FM Skeptics group
______Truth through Doubt________

Written by SpHaeR with input from fakitol


Skepticism is an attitude of doubt. Logically, we can know nothing for sure. The truth can not be known, as none of the established epistemic systems are waterproof. These ideas form ancient or classical skepticism.

The modern skeptic is more utilitarian of nature and distinguishes between epistemically likely, and epistemically unlikely concepts. Instead of dismissing everything, he is more skeptical towards those concepts that:
  • (1) ..are logically inconsistent
  • (2) ..have not been right in their predictions,
  • (3) ..that have been inconsistent with empirical data
  • (4) ..that can not be falisified.
The modern skeptic concerns himself with epistemically "justified" beliefs. They tend to use science as a boundary for justified belief. Therefore, most modern skeptics tend to treat claims of the supernatural with doubt. Some of these claims include: Gods, homeopathy, astrology, accupuncture, chiropractic, palm-reading, et cetera. These concepts fail on one of the four epistemic points above. It is important to note that these concepts can not be dismissed completely, because nothing is sure.

Popular use of the term "skeptic" has changed its meaning from the ancient one to the modern one. In fact, the modern skeptic can also be described as a rationalist. The difference is that the modern skeptic acknowledges that the rational view is just as dogmatic as, say, the religious view.

This group has been founded to unite skeptics and rationalists from the last.fm community and to provide a platform of discussion between them and otherminded people.

Members in this group concern themselves with epistemically unlikely concepts because people are sometimes the financial and mental victims of them, but also simply for the love of philosophico-theoretical discourse and the persuit of truth.


Skepticism: No bullshit


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  • Psy_b

    damn, I wish this group was more active :( [2]

    May 2010

  • NeedleDee

    damn, I wish this group was more active :(

    March 2010

  • NeedleDee

    wow, that is a great video joaofl. I shall be adding that to my playlist on youtube.

    September 2009

  • growling_one

    true!... true!...

    September 2009

  • joaoftl

    This is some old stuff, but worth watching imo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15KgyXBX24

    August 2009

  • growling_one

    how cool is this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9d8TF7DlyU ? :D

    August 2009

  • 2cabs2toucan

    I think I'll stand by "only" What other ways of knowing are effective at circumventing bias? If you start a thread I’ll be sure to join in.

    March 2009

  • Waldheri

    Maybe not the only, but the best epistemological toolbox to date.

    March 2009

  • 2cabs2toucan

    wwRoss, I think it all comes down to what different people regard as good evidence. For me the scientific method is the only way to see around our inbuilt cognitive biases. When such tests are applied to paranormal claims they always come up short.

    March 2009

  • Waldheri

    Greetings!

    February 2009

  • ElArte8723

    Skepticism is an badass doom metal band. Pouring is a fucking great track by them! I am still amazed of how many self-described sceptics are metalheads or listen to some metal.

    February 2009

  • TheGraveDigger

    Everyone in this group should listen to Skepticism (a doom metal band).

    January 2009

  • SpHaeR

    Lol.

    December 2008

  • the_gray_fox

    Wimme pointed me to this group. I'm not quite skeptic, but I've been very skeptic concerning existence lately...say solipsim?

    December 2008

  • SpHaeR

    ? This makes no sense. I had already replied to c4t2007 via shouts though.

    December 2008

  • max-ks

    A rationalist believes 2 + 2 = 4 because scientists wrote it in the arithmetics textbook. A sceptic reads said textbook beforehand. :)

    December 2008

  • c4t2007

    What's the difference between a skeptic and a rationalist? The skeptic doubts that 2 + 2 = 4?

    November 2008

  • 2cabs2toucan

    @phage - Acupuncture and chiropractic have not been demonstrated to work under the same strict testing required by mainstream medicine (ie repeatable double-blind). When you say “recognised by modern Western medicine" I guess you mean recommended by many doctors, who are on the whole just technicians and must rely on scientific tests to determine efficacy of a treatment.

    October 2008

  • -phage-

    Interesting that you condemn accupuncture and chiropractic which are recogniced nowdays by modern western medicine more and more.

    October 2008

  • RageofAnath

    Guess I'm not part of the Universe then, as I disagree with below statement? :S

    May 2008
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