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Sample the Skeptic's Dictionary

begging the question

Begging the question is what one does in an argument when one assumes what one claims to be proving.

An argument is a form of reasoning whereby one gives a reason or reasons in support of some claim. The reasons are called premises and the claim one tries to support with them is called the conclusion.

If one's premises entail one's conclusion, and one's premises are questionable, one is said to beg the question.>>more

sample the Skeptic's Dictionary for Kids

full moon

The full moon has been linked to crime, mental illness, disasters, accidents, werewolves, and many other things. Does the scientific evidence support any of these links? Not really. Well, the science does favor one link: when the moon is waning (when the part we can see gets smaller), you would be well advised to stay out of the reach of hungry lions in the jungle. In the dark they can see us better than we can see them.>> more

a blast from the past

Evaluating Evidence

Of all the courses I taught in my 32-year career as a philosophy teacher, my favorite was the philosophy of law. I designed the course and called it Law, Justice, and Punishment (LJP). The course was for community college students, some with career goals in law or law enforcement. Most of my students, however, seemed to sign up because of the course title and the content it suggested. LJP students were my best students, too, which partly explains why it was my favorite class. What I really enjoyed about LJP, though, was the way I could teach critical thinking skills in a concrete way, as well as explore many interesting philosophical issues with my students.>>more

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