RE: Illustrating the burden of proof - pay me!
February 7, 2022 at 12:06 am
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2022 at 2:02 am by John 6IX Breezy.)
Some further thoughts:
1. I think it's necessary to separate the burden from the proof, so to speak, because there's a tendency to conflate the two. In other words, it's always necessary to justify one's beliefs, and perhaps people are attempting to ask for such justifications when asking for proof. However, the burden aspect creeps in because the phrase is so popular that it gets activated as a unit. But asking why you believe what you believe (proof) and requiring you to convince me of your beliefs (burden) are two very different requests.
2. A burden of proof mentality obstructs your access to truth. It places your ability to learn something true about the world in the hands of someone that might not know how to convince you. Therefore, it is in my best interest to help you steel-man your arguments. Because your beliefs might be right, but you might not know how to demonstrate them correctly. (Note that in a courtroom it is not in my best interest to help you make your case.)
1. I think it's necessary to separate the burden from the proof, so to speak, because there's a tendency to conflate the two. In other words, it's always necessary to justify one's beliefs, and perhaps people are attempting to ask for such justifications when asking for proof. However, the burden aspect creeps in because the phrase is so popular that it gets activated as a unit. But asking why you believe what you believe (proof) and requiring you to convince me of your beliefs (burden) are two very different requests.
2. A burden of proof mentality obstructs your access to truth. It places your ability to learn something true about the world in the hands of someone that might not know how to convince you. Therefore, it is in my best interest to help you steel-man your arguments. Because your beliefs might be right, but you might not know how to demonstrate them correctly. (Note that in a courtroom it is not in my best interest to help you make your case.)
