Comments on: Species of speciousness 1: false dichotomy http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:38:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Ian http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-204 Ian Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:29:37 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-204 Believing in the absence of something is every bit as strong a belief as believing in its existence. To be a little facetious, I might say I believe in the non-existence of air. Were it the case that you defined atheism, as I would, as an absence of belief rather than a belief in the non-existence of a deity then I would probably agree with you. I don't think this is Dawkins viewpoint, though. He dogmatically claims to know there is no god. Believing in the absence of something is every bit as strong a belief as believing in its existence. To be a little facetious, I might say I believe in the non-existence of air.

Were it the case that you defined atheism, as I would, as an absence of belief rather than a belief in the non-existence of a deity then I would probably agree with you. I don’t think this is Dawkins viewpoint, though. He dogmatically claims to know there is no god.

]]> By: Species of speciousness 2: epistemological error at First Drafts - The Prospect magazine blog http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-134 Species of speciousness 2: epistemological error at First Drafts - The Prospect magazine blog Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:59:23 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-134 [...] defended Richard Dawkins, one of our greatest God-bashers, in the first of these columns, it seems only fair in the second to consider a flawed species of argument from [...] [...] defended Richard Dawkins, one of our greatest God-bashers, in the first of these columns, it seems only fair in the second to consider a flawed species of argument from [...]

]]> By: rolpol http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-123 rolpol Thu, 31 May 2007 16:54:11 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/05/31/species-of-speciousness-1-false-dichotomy/#comment-123 Use of 'crusade' for poorly-argued point = unfunny This cartoon = funny: http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm Use of ‘crusade’ for poorly-argued point = unfunny

This cartoon = funny: http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm

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