The Scientific Method is at the heart of science. It is a method used to reliably determine the cause of a given phenomenon. It starts with an observation of a phenomenon and an interest it how it occurred. The observer then gathers evidence about the phenomenon. The observer then forms a hypothesis based on the evidence they have gathered. The observer then conducts careful and controlled experiments that will either confirm or disprove their hypothesis. If the hypothesis is disproved they will form a new one and repeat the experimentation. If the hypothesis is confirmed it will then be submitted to others so that they also can look at the evidence, conduct experiments and verify if the experiments confirm the hypothesis. If they also find that the experiments confirm the hypothesis then it becomes a scientific theory. The theory is a tentative conclusion or the best answer that exists for the subject at the current time. However all theories are still subject to change upon the discovery of new evidence and information.
There are no theories which cannot in principle be falsified. There are no arrogant and dogmatic assertions that must be accepted on faith. There is no dependence on authorities. It is all in the open, repeatable, and verifiable. Science has indisputably made the world a better place, taken humanity out of the dark ages of religious oppression, led to technological advances that allow people to live, happier, healthier and longer lives, etc. There can really be no question that scientific thinking is superior to religious thinking.
Critical thinking is a skill that must be practiced. It will protect you from being deceived, taken advantage of, exploited and manipulated. We need to understand right and wrong ways of thinking and how to be aware of our own thinking and biases. We all have biases and have to do the best we can at being aware of them and not letting them interfere with our interpretation of data. If we desire to learn truth (that which corresponds to reality) then it should be important to you to use tools that help us go about discovering truth while removing anything that hinders our search for it.
I will briefly touch on some psychological issues relevant to this discussion as well as some logical fallacies that are often used which keep people from reaching legitimate conclusions on a matter.
Psychology
Psychology basically is the scientific study of how the brain works and why people do the things they do. Psychologists will do studies on human behavior using the scientific method. Some of their findings relevant to the topic of the website include things like:
- Confirmation Bias- A theory that says people generally will seek out the information and evidence to support what they already believe and ignore the information and evidence to the contrary.
- Mere Exposure Effect- A theory that says people generally will come to prefer people or things more when they are exposed to them more and become familiar with them.
- Communal Reinforcement- A theory that says people will form a strong belief in a claim that is repeatedly stated by members of a community.
- Belief Perseverance- The persistence in holding to a belief that one has committed to publicly in the face of contrary evidence.
- Insufficient Justification Effect- When people find themselves doing something or believing something apart from good external reasons they will create the reasoning internally to justify themselves.
Logical fallacies are simply bad arguments. Yet it is important to be aware of them because of how common they are. They are usually used unwittingly but are sometimes used intentionally to deceive and manipulate people.
- Red Herring- A change in topic or the bringing up of irrelevant information
- Non Sequitor- A conclusion that doesn’t follow from the premises
- Straw Man- A misrepresentation of an opponents argument that is attacked instead of the opponent’s actual argument
- Ad Hominem- A personal attack on your opponent that is irrelevant to the discussion
- False Dilemma- An attempt to make you accept a limited number or conclusions when there are more
- Appeals to Emotion- Any argument based on emotions like fear, anger, hope, joy, etc
- Genetic Fallacy- A dismissal of an argument based on who made it
- Poisoning the Well- An attempt to discredit your opponent by associating him/her with something negative
These are not exhaustive lists by any means but common in the realm of religious beliefs and discussions.
