Ellis/Five Principles, 1b. Scepticism is not Negative

Scepticism is frequently misunderstood as negative in motive or application, but arguments about uncertainty in no way require falsehood. Assumptions that they do involve an appeal to ignorance, and perhaps the unhelpful application of helpful principles within empirical judgement (such as Ockham’s Razor or Russell’s Teapot) to absolute claims. We slip easily into assuming falsehood from uncertainty, because the physiologically entrenched meaning of the dualistic framework is maintained in mere negation. Challenging that framework requires the practice of agnosticism as well as provisionality and integration.