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Flat Earth Theory / Re: Is it possible to prove a negative?
« on: January 02, 2014, 01:07:32 AM »Quotein the absence of evidence rendering the existence of some entity probable, we are justified in believing that it does not exist, provided that (1) it is not something that might leave no traces and (2) we have comprehensively surveyed the area where the evidence would be found if the entity existed...
Oh look, that sentence there means that you need to look where the evidence would be found if the entity existed.
Well, by golly, you claiming it does not exist because it isn't in your room or on the forum it is a total crock.
So let me summarize it for you.
All claims, positive or negative, carry a burden of proof. A negative claim can be supported by the absence of evidence if you have looked in the most likely place for that evidence. Until then, you cannot claim anything to be true or false.
I did survey the most likely area the information would be found. I looked here on this forum, at information provided by the primary source making the claim.
If someone is claiming that ghosts exist, and I do not believe that, is the most likely place to find evidence of ghosts to rent out some old houses to stay the night in, in hopes that evidence for ghosts will appear, or is the most likely place to find evidence of a ghost from the person claiming that ghosts exist?