Beyond belief : skepticism, science and the paranormal / Martin Bridgstock.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bridgstock, Martin, 1948- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Parapsychology.

Parapsychology and science.

Skepticism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 202 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Whether ghosts, astrology or ESP, up to 80 per cent of the population believes in one or more aspects of the paranormal. Such beliefs are entertaining, and it is tempting to think of them as harmless. However, there is mounting evidence that paranormal beliefs can be dangerous - cases of children dying because parents rejected orthodox medicine in favour of alternative remedies, and 'psychics' who trade on the grief of the bereaved for personal profit and gain. Expenditure on the paranormal runs into billions of dollars each year. In Beyond Belief: Skepticism, Science and the Paranormal Martin Bridgstock provides an integrated understanding of what an evidence-based approach to the paranormal - a skeptical approach - involves, and why it is necessary. Bridgstock does not set out to show that all paranormal claims are necessarily false, but he does suggest that we all need the analytical ability and critical thinking skills to seek and assess the evidence for paranormal claims.

Contents:

Introduction: The paranormal and why it matters

The nature of science

The paranormal

Skepticism

from Socrates to Hume

Modern skepticism

Bringing skepticism down to earth

Skepticism, ethics and survival

Skepticism beyond the paranormal.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographic references (p. 186-195) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-20770-3

0-511-84959-1

1-282-65138-2

9786612651380

0-511-68957-8

0-511-69105-X

0-511-69217-X

0-511-69031-2

0-511-68882-2

OCLC:

645092764