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Science Forum Index » Miscelaneous » Book Review: Skeptical Odysseys (ed. Paul Kurtz)
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| Anthony Campbell |
 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:43 am |
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Paul Kurtz (editor)
SKEPTICAL ODYSSEYS
Personal accounts by the world's leading paranormal
inquirers
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Book review by Anthony Campbell. Copyright © Anthony
Campbell (2003).
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims
for the Paranormal (CSICOP) was founded by Paul Kurtz and
others in 1976, with the aim of combatting what its members
regard as an increasing public acceptance of irrationality
and superstition. Critics have not been slow to accuse them
of prejudice and narrow-mindedness, but CSICOP has
continued to campaign vigorously for its views and this
book provides a useful summary of how it sees things today.
In spite of the title, not all the contributions are
autobiographical; some are more analytical and describe the
outcome of investigations in particular areas. There is
also a section on the situation of skepticism in different
countries outside the USA as well as one containing less
readily classifiable pieces on the nature of skeptical
thought. Quite a number of authors, however, do describe
their own progress from belief to skepticism.
CSICOP seems always to have had a problem in defining its
attitude to religion. Most of its members appear to be
agnostic or atheist, but officially, at least, CSICOP
claims to be neutral as regards religion though critical of
testable religious claims in such matters as milk-drinking
statues or the Shroud of Turin. However, this book does
contain one explicitly atheistic article, by the
philosopher Antony Flew. Martin Gardner, in contrast, does
believe in God, although he makes it clear that there are
no good reasons for doing so and his attitude is based on
emotion not reason.
As might be expected, the quality of the articles on offer
here is somewhat uneven. Some are frankly rather dull.
There are also some good ones. Susan Blackmore tells us why
she has given up on the paranormal; she has already done
this elsewhere, but she writes well and the account is
worth repeating. Victor J. Stenger, a physicist, does a
fine demolition job on the widespread misuse of the term
"energy" in paranormal circles. Geoffrey Dean and Ivan W.
Kelly provide a good summary of tests of astrology,
including Michel Gauquelin's work. But Wallace Sampson's
treatment of alternative medicine struck me as superficial
and too summary to do anything like justice to its subject.
Among the contributions of researchers outside the USA, the
best comes from the Dutch contributors Cornelis de Jager
and Jan Willem Nienhuis. Astrology figures here too, but I
particularly liked their account of experiments on dowsing.
The results were at the level of chance but what was
particularly interesting was the reactions of the dowsers
themselves. Far from being discouraged, all of them found
reasons to discount the outcome and the authors comment
that few paranormalists have any idea of what constitutes
an adequate testing method.
This book offers a good overview of both the strengths and
the weaknesses of CSICOP. Throughout the quarter century of
its existence the organization has provided a most valuable
platform for critics of the irrational, but perhaps
inevitably it has not always avoided the temptations that
await the rationalist critic: pomposity, smugness,
over-confidence. At least some of its members seem to be
too sure that there is always a sharp line demarcating true
science from pseudoscience. It is interesting to speculate
on what would have been the response of CSICOP to the
theory of continental drift if the organization had existed
when Wegener put forward his idea. If nothing else, reading
this book reminds one of how difficult it is to maintain a
wary attitude to the irrational without sacrificing
openness to new ideas.
3 November 2003
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%T Skeptical Odysseys
%S Personal accounts by the world's leading parnormal
inquirers
%A Paul Kurtz (editor)
%I Prometheus Books
%C Amherst, New York
%D 2001
%G ISBN 1-57392-884-4
%P 430 pp
%K parapsychology
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