Difference between revisions of "Denialism"
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Denialists tend to have wide variety of targets from the scientific to the political. Popular denialist targets include: | Denialists tend to have wide variety of targets from the scientific to the political. Popular denialist targets include: | ||
− | *The | + | *The infallability of the [[Bible]] |
− | + | *The [[virgin birth]] of [[Christ]] | |
− | *The | + | *The deity of Christ |
− | + | *That different [[race]]s exist, and humanity can be self-evidently divided into Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid | |
− | *The | + | *That men are the head of the household |
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Denialism has at times been a tool of national policy in some places, including [[Lysenkoism]] in the Soviet Union (denial of Mendelian genetics), the defeat of the Kyoto global warming treaty and requirements for abstinence-only sex education in the United States, the [[Turkey|Turkish]] government's denial of the Armenian Genocide, and the attempted suppression of relativity as "Jewish science" in Nazi Germany. | Denialism has at times been a tool of national policy in some places, including [[Lysenkoism]] in the Soviet Union (denial of Mendelian genetics), the defeat of the Kyoto global warming treaty and requirements for abstinence-only sex education in the United States, the [[Turkey|Turkish]] government's denial of the Armenian Genocide, and the attempted suppression of relativity as "Jewish science" in Nazi Germany. |
Revision as of 01:22, 8 August 2009
Not just a river in Egypt Denialism |
Alternative facts |
♫ We're not listening ♫ |
Denialism is a methodological school of woo. It is the art of denying a well evidenced fact in an authoritative way, despite lack of any empirically acceptable counter-evidence.
Denialists tend to have wide variety of targets from the scientific to the political. Popular denialist targets include:
- The infallability of the Bible
- The virgin birth of Christ
- The deity of Christ
- That different races exist, and humanity can be self-evidently divided into Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid
- That men are the head of the household
Denialism has at times been a tool of national policy in some places, including Lysenkoism in the Soviet Union (denial of Mendelian genetics), the defeat of the Kyoto global warming treaty and requirements for abstinence-only sex education in the United States, the Turkish government's denial of the Armenian Genocide, and the attempted suppression of relativity as "Jewish science" in Nazi Germany.
Methods
The Hoofnagle boys at Denialism Blog on scienceblogs.com have described (using their "Denialists' Deck of Cards" series[1]) how their tactics are remarkably similar. Denialists often claim that an established set of knowledge or scientific theory is not proven, lacks evidence, or is a controversy. Lists of experts (who may have no credentials in the area) are compiled as testimonials. Such statements are common among the tobacco industry about the connection of smoking to lung cancer; creationists about evolution; and denialists about global warming.
Denialist groups also create their own research to "study the problem" or produce their own body of "competing evidence" which is often poorly performed (if at all, as many are public relations firms). These groups will encourage people to form their own opinions or do their own tests, rather than relying on studies with appropriate controls.
More informal techniques include a witch's brew of half-truths, sob stories[2], conspiracy theories and or spin to try to force the public to ignore an important issue.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ http://www.denialism.com/Deckofcards/deck.html
- ↑ Generally about the impending impoverishment of multimillion dollar companies, but often involving stories about how brown people/insert_other_religion_heres/small independent artists are going to steal our money, steal our identities, steal our country, steal our dogs and rape our women.