The reversed responsibility response
—switching the burden of proof
This tactic is usually used by someone who’s made a claim and then been asked for evidence to support it. Their response is to demand that you show that the claim is wrong and if you can’t, to insist that this means their claim is true.
Bob Seidensticker says:
September 9, 2012
I’m going to need a lot of evidence that the supernatural explanation is the correct one, and I’ve seen nothing.
nonsensenose says:
September 9, 2012
What is the evidence for your own explanation?
Bob Seidensticker says:
September 9, 2012
My explanation? You mean the default, natural explanation?
nonsensenose says:
September 9, 2012
Yes, evidence for the natural explanation which you believe is the default.
Bob Seidensticker says:
September 10, 2012
NSN: A couple of thoughts.
(1) The burden of proof is always on the person making the supernatural claim. If science and reason had nothing to say about where morality came from, this would still be true. (Science has lots of unanswered questions. “You got not answer? Well I do–God did it!” is obviously no answer.)
(2) We see morality in other primates. Do they also tap into an objective moral truth? I don’t think so–moral instinct seems to explain this quite well. That is, they’re born with certain instincts that we would call “moral”–compassion, sympathy, a sense of fairness. And so are we.
nonsensenose says:
October 3, 2012
(1) I see that the burden of proof is on a person making a supernatural claim. I do not see why your claims would be exempt from the burden of proof.
(2) We don’t see morality in other primates. You do. It is correct, as you state, that we could call some of their observable traits “moral.” It would be equally correct to state that we could call them “social inclinations” or “signals of social status” or “equivalent to human affect” or whatever.
Such claims do not provide any evidence at all.
Bob Seidensticker says:
October 3, 2012
NSN: Cut to the chase. Show me the evidence for objective moral truth.
nonsensenose says:
October 5, 2012
You first.
Why do people use this tactic?
People use this tactic to avoid supplying supporting evidence – usually because there is none. In attempting to distract you from this lack of evidence, they try to convince you that the responsibility of supplying evidence lies with you.
- The reversed responsibility response—switching the burden of proof (scienceornot.net)
Atheist Heresy 