"...But what does it mean to be skeptical? Skepticism has a long historical tradition dating back to ancient Greece when Socrates observed: “All I know is that I know nothing.”
[Actually he said he didn't claim to know what he didn't know. In other words, he acknowledged the limits of his -- and our -- present knowledge. He believed we should admit our present ignorance, to motivate the ongoing search for knowledge, truth, and wisdom. More extreme skeptics like Pyrrho would say they could not even know that they knew nothing, or that there are or are not limits, or that knowledge, truth, and wisdom are good things to pursue, etc. They simply said they and we would be happier if we remained permanently non-committal about that, and about everything. But, we might ask, did they think they knew this? Or even believe it? They'd never admit so, but what do you think? -jpo]
But this is not a practical position to take. Modern skepticism is embodied in the scientific method, that involves gathering data to formulate and test naturalistic explanations for natural phenomena. A claim becomes factual when it is confirmed to such an extent it would be reasonable to offer temporary agreement. But all facts in science are provisional and subject to challenge, and therefore skepticism is a method leading to provisional conclusions. Some claims, such as water dowsing, ESP, and creationism, have been tested (and failed the tests) often enough that we can provisionally conclude that they are false. Other claims, such as hypnosis and chaos theory, have been tested but results are inconclusive so we must continue formulating and testing hypotheses and theories until we can reach a provisional conclusion. The key to skepticism is to continuously and vigorously apply the methods of science to navigate the treacherous straits between “know nothing” skepticism and “anything goes” credulity. This manifesto — a statement of purpose of sorts — explores these themes further..." (continues)
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