Inquiry out of its joints – Insights on doubt-production

By Mathias Girel

Abstract

How to face doubt-mongers? Can we use what we know of antic skepticism to defeat them? In his lecture “Insights on doubt-production”, Mathias Girel introduces his topic with 4 examples of eye-opening books. He then describes the different techniques doubt-mongers use to weaken scientific findings, and he discloses their strategy to make people believe their arguments. However, Girel explains, understanding of Greek skepticism can help defeat doubt-mongers by debunking their flimsy arguments. He then warns the audience about the risks of always doubting scientific findings and finishes his lecture by giving some tips to help science endure.

Summary

00:00:00 – 1. Introduction

00:01:00 – 2. Examples of 4 eye-opening books
00:01:54 – 2.1. Agnotology by Robert N. Proctor and Londa Schiebinger
00:04:04 – 2.2. Merchants of doubts by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
00:05:17 – 2.3. The case of secrecy by Peter Galison
00:06:16 – 2.4. ID is a legitimate science, S. Fuller, Kitzmiller vs Dover, 2005

00:09:32 – 3. Different ways to weaken the chain of inferences
00:09:40 – 3.1. Hiding premises
00:10:40 – 3.2. Casting doubts on the premises
00:11:13 – 3.3. Establishing controversies
00:20:37 – 3.4. Weakening links between inferences
00:20:45 – 3.5. Adding other causes to a consequence

00:30:02 – 4. The strategy of doubt-mongers to make their arguments acceptable
00:30:15 – 4.1. The so-called skeptics or philosophers of science
00:31:00 – 4.2. What they say
00:34:32 – 4.3. What they do
00:35:30 – 4.4. The rhetorical tools they use

00:35:41 – 5. Defeating doubt-mongers thanks to philosophy
00:36:19 – 5.1. Attacking certainty
00:42:11 – 5.2. Arguments of indiscernibility
00:49:48 – 5.3. The case for epistemological indiscernibles
00:52:30 – 5.4. What kind of indiscernibility?
00:57:44 – 5.5. Demarcation arguments

01:01:30 – 6. The risks we face by always doubting
01:01:32 – 6.1. Assessing intentions
01:04:25 – 6.2. Controversy and conspiracy

01:05:55 – 7. Conclusion
01:06:00 – 7.1. Tips for science to endure