[Ads-l] Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

[Andy Bach]

Does "Hitchen's Razor" work as a corollary?
 "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without
evidence."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchens%27s_razor

On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 10:53 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The saying in the subject line was discussed on this list back in
> August 2015. Now, I've posted a Quote Investigator article.
>
> https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/12/05/extraordinary/
>
> [Begin acknowledgement excerpt]
> Great thanks to Hugh Henry and Massimo Fuggetta whose inquiries led QI
> to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Additional
> thanks to researchers Daniel Loxton, Bill Mullins, Peter Morris, and
> Fred R. Shapiro. Loxton located several of the citations presented
> above as did Mullins, Morris, and Shapiro. Also, thanks to mailing
> list discussants Stephen Goranson, Jonathan Lighter, and Wilson Gray.
> [End acknowledgement excerpt]
>
> Here is the overview.
>
> 1708: These matters being very extraordinary, will require a very
> extraordinary proof (Benjamin Bayly)
>
> 1738: As it is a matter of an extraordinary kind, it is but reasonable
> in us to require extraordinary evidence for it
>
> 1740: Every man has a right to demand extraordinary evidence for any
> extraordinary fact (Arthur Ashley Sykes)
>
> 1741: Assertions so contrary to fact … require some extraordinary
> proof to gain our credit and assent (John Straight)
>
> 1800: Miracles being very unusual and extraordinary facts, they
> require very strong evidence to support them (Beilby Porteus)
>
> 1804: I ought to have extraordinary evidence, to induce me to believe
> extraordinary things (Elihu Palmer)
>
> 1810: Plus un fait est extraordinaire, plus il a besoin d’être appuyé
> de fortes preuves (Pierre-Simon Laplace)
>
> 1810: The more extraordinary a fact, the more it needs to be supported
> by strong proofs (Translation of Pierre-Simon Laplace)
>
> 1824: Extraordinary claims can rest only on extraordinary proofs
> (William Craig Brownlee)
>
> 1826: For extraordinary facts, we should have extraordinary evidence
>
> 1852: Extraordinary claims should be backed by extraordinary proof
>
> 1854: An extraordinary, an unnatural event, demands extraordinary
> evidence (F. B. Barton)
>
> 1871: Extraordinary evidence is needed to establish extraordinary
> facts (William Denton)
>
> 1895: Extraordinary claims always call for extraordinary proof (Ely
> Vaughn Zollars)
>
> 1906: Wonderful phenomena need wonderful evidence in their support
> (Joseph F. Rinn)
>
> 1975: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof (Marcello Truzzi)
>
> 1976: Extraordinary proof is necessary for extraordinary claims
> (Kendrick Frazier credited Marcello Truzzi)
>
> 1977: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence (Carl Sagan)
>
> 1979: Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof. (James Oberg)
>
> Feedback welcome
> Garson
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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a

Andy Bach,
afbach at gmail.com
608 658-1890 cell
608 261-5738 wk

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