Until 1675 when Anton van Leeuwenhoek first discovered microorganisms, no one knew they existed. It was another 200 years before scientists discovered that they were responsible for the transmission of disease. Although science had not verified their existence, microorganisms clearly existed.
How then, can writers like Benjamin Radford a Live Science Contributor, use the logic that ghosts do not exist because there is no scientific evidence that they do? What Bradford has done in his article "Are Ghost Real? Science Says No.o.o.o", whether he realizes it or not, is employ a logical fallacy to support his personal opinion that ghosts do not exist.
This type of logical fallacy is common for those who wish to dispel the belief in ghosts and paranormal activity. Because the premise of the argument contains what he is trying to prove, it is referred to as “circular reasoning” or “begging the question”.
According to Logical Fallacies, “A circular argument fails as a proof because it will only be judged to be sound by those who already accept its conclusion.”
Prior to 1675, one could argue that organisms invisible to the human eye do not exist because there was no scientific evidence that they exist. This, of course, simply wasn’t true. The argument employs circular reasoning, just as Radford employs circular reasoning by saying ghosts do not exist because there is no scientific evidence that they do.
As we have seen from the example of microorganism, the lack of scientific evidence is not valid as proof that ghosts, or anything else, do not exist.
Whether you are a full-blown skeptic who thinks those who believe in the paranormal are delusional, at best, and fakes at worst, or you are a firm believer in the paranormal, care must be taken to avoid using logical fallacies to support your beliefs.
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