| Unfalsifiability / Untestibility |
Fallacy of Unfalsifiable Claims / Unfalsifiability / UntestibilityThe fallacy of unfalsifiability / untestibility / unfalsifiable claims fallacy occurs when a proposition is presented with a claim that it is falsifiable, but the proposition is maintained as true no matter what evidence is presented. In other words, an unfalsifiable proposition is claimed to be falsifiable. Keep in mind that the fact that something is falsifiable cannot prove that something is true. The fact that something is genuinely not falsifiable doesn't prove it to be false, either. For instance, if you tell someone that your toe hurts you, and it does, the other person cannot test whether you feel pain--yet you do. However, it is a fallacy to claim that something is falsifiable when it is not. It is a political move to try to create the illusion of open-mindedness. The fallacy may take the form of stating that a certain thing can only be proved or falsified by some standard that is impossible, in which case, it would be an impossible perfection fallacy. Examples of the Fallacy of Unfalsifiable Claims / Unfalsifiability / Untestibility:Evolution has proven to be unfalsifiable, yet it is claimed to be falsifiable. The body of "knowledge" surrounding it has always claimed that it would be falsifiable by certain criteria. When those criteria are met, the story is changed slightly and new criteria are established. Fallacy Abuse:Rocky: "I know Jesus Christ personally, and you have the opportunity to know Him too. Everyone who seeks Him in sincerity, respect, and submission does eventually find Him." Sandy: "That can't be verified. No one can falsify that, so it's not rational for you to experience it." Sandy is committing fallacy abuse. It has lately become common to see this kind of fallacy abuse. To claim that unfalsifiability is fallacious is in itself a fallacy. This fallacy implies that whatever cannot be falsified is false (or at least should not be allowed in discussion) and what can be falsified is true. One anti-God site actually makes this claim: "Making unfalsifiable claims is a way to leave the realm of rational discourse." That is an assertion contrary to fact. The author goes on in a way that exposes his bias: "since unfalsifiable claims are often faith-based, and not founded on evidence and reason." So, this fallacious claim is made to eliminate any discussion of faith. While faith cannot be put into a test tube, the same can be said of other things such as love, joy, pain, pleasure, etc. The expression, "I love you." is a fallacy? We don't think so. It needs to be stated that Christian faith is not the make believe faith such as the kind that is needed to believe in the Big-Bang-Billions-of-Years-No-Flood-Molecules-to-Man story. Christian faith comes by hearing the rhema of God. Rhema is a Greek word that means utterance. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the utterance of God. God speaks. God reveals. That's how we know that the Bible is the Word of God without error. First, God speaks that fact into our innermost minds. Then, He speaks to us through the Bible--among other means. If this were not true, we could know very little about the origins of the Universe. There are also other religions. Some of them (including some that are called Christian) depend on rationalizations. They never make contact with Jesus or any other spiritual entity. Others do make contact with spiritual entities. God created angels. Satan rebelled against God and took one third of the angels with him in rebellion. These fallen angels (demons) present themselves as gods, earth spirits, spirits of the dead, space aliens, etc. Christianity is based on Divine revelation of Jesus Christ. Some religions are based on rationalization. Other religions are based on evil spirits. 
How can we know anything about anything? That’s the real question |
Other Pages in this sectionStacking the Deck Ambiguity Effect McNamara Fallacy Head in the Sand Suppression of the Agent Fading Affect Bias Unteachable Selective Refutation A-Priorism Audiatur Et Altera Pars Ignoring Historical Example Overlooking Secondary Consequences Uncontrolled Factors Missing Link Moving the Goal Posts Gravity Game Demanding Impossible Evidence Invincible Ignorance Argument from Ignorance Ad Ignorantiam Question God of the Gaps Argument from Silence No True Scotsman No True Scientist Fallacy of Opposition Frozen Abstraction Falsified Inductive Generalization Argument from the Negative Accident Fallacy Reverse Accident Best-in-Field Abductive Fallacy Denialism Logical Fallacy of Reductionism / Oversimplification Very Simple Answer Reductionism Taboo Fallacy Recently Viewed |
