[Ads-l] extraordinary claims extraordinary evidence

Sat Aug 29 23:36:48 UTC 2015

The website SkepticBlog has an interesting article by Daniel Loxton
from 2012 about the saying about "Extraordinary claims, extraordinary
evidence" and several variant sayings. The worthwhile 1824 citation
that Peter shared was included in the SkepticBlog article. Also, the
1975 Truzzi citation was given. A Thomas Jefferson quotation was
presented by a commentator.

Website: SkepticBlog.org
Date: December 11, 2012
Title: Wonderful Phenomena Demand Wonderful Evidence
Author: Daniel Loxton

Short link: http://bit.ly/1MUw3u7

http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/12/11/wonderful-phenomena-demand-wonderful-evidence/

Loxton (and other investigators) have mentioned a pertinent quotation
by Laplace, but the text provided by Loxton (and others) is an English
translation from 1902.  So, in the interest of completeness, I looked
for the French text and found instances in 1811 and 1814.

[ref] 1902, A Philosophical Essay on Probabilities by Pierre Simon,
Marquis de Laplace, (Translated from the Sixth French Edition),
Translated by Frederick Wilson Truscott and Frederick Lincoln Emory,
Quote Page 17, Published by John Wiley & Sons, New York. (Google Books
Full View) link [/ref]

https://books.google.com/books?id=WxoPAAAAIAAJ&q=%22by+strong%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
>From what precedes, we ought generally to conclude that the more
extraordinary the event, the greater the need of its being supported
by strong proofs. For those who attest it, being able to deceive or to
have been deceived, these two causes are as much more probable as the
reality of the event is less.
[End excerpt]

Year: 1811
Title: Annuaire Présenté A. S. M. L'Empereur at Roi
Par Les Bureau des Longitudes Pour L'An 1812
Author: Les Bureau des Longitudes
Publisher: Mme Ve Courcier, Imprimerie-Libraire, Paris, France
Article: Notice Sur Les Probabilitiés
Start Page 90, Quote Page 115 and 116

https://books.google.com/books?id=vwlZAAAAYAAJ&q=%22ou+tromper%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
De là nous devons généralement conclure que plus un fait est
extraordinaire, plus il a besoin d'être appuyé de fortes preuves; car
ceux qui l'attestent, pouvant ou tromper, ou avoir été trompés, ces
deux causes sont d'autant plus probables, que la réalité du fait l'est
moins en elle-même.
[End excerpt]

Year: 1814
Title: Essai Philosophique sur Les Probabilites
Author: M. Le Comte Laplace
Publisher: Mme Ve Courcier, Imprimerie-Libraire, Paris, France
Quote Page 12

https://books.google.com/books?id=1zvXeqHtrBEC&q=%22a+besoin%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
De ce qui précède, nous devons généralement conclure que plus un fait
est extraordinaire, plus il a besoin d'être appuyé de fortes preuves.
Car ceux qui l'attestent, pouvant ou tromper, ou avoir été trompés,
ces deux causes sont d'autant plus probables, que la réalité du fait
l'est moins en elle-même.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 8:35 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: extraordinary claims extraordinary evidence
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Oops. My mistake. The snippets did not show up at first.
> I now see the phrase is cited as 1975, just as you wrote. Sorry.
> Stephen
>
> ________________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Peter =
> Morris <peter_morris_1 at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK>
> Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 6:20 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: [ADS-L] extraordinary claims extraordinary evidence
>
> I've found an almost exact reference from 1824. It's a fairly obvious thoug=
> ht, and I doubt the 1824 author could claim any great originality.
>
> "Extraordinary claims can rest only on extraordinary proofs. Ordinary clasi=
> ms are supported by common proofs."
>
> http://tinyurl.com/pao87w7
>
>
>
> As for Truzzi, here's a cite from 1975
>
> http://tinyurl.com/pqcm3ts
>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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