The term “evidence” has a fascinating linguistic and social history – and it’s a good reminder that even today the truth of scientific evidence depends on it being presented in a convincing way.
The quest for scientific evidence can trace its roots back to the classic masters of rhetoric. |
As recent climate change scepticism shows, the fortunes of scientific evidence can be swayed by something as fleeting as a tweet.
But what does it even mean to speak of “scientific evidence”?
History reveals that scientific forms of evidence have rarely, if ever, been detached from rhetoric. In fact, the very idea of evidence has its origins within the context of classical rhetoric, the art of persuasion.
Read the piece from The Conversation by a Research Fellow from The University of Queensland, James A. T. Lancaster - “What might appear to be common sense is not always based on scientific evidence.”
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