outhouse

Not really even a arguement here, if you ever try reading a post before replying, you might learn more.

David Deas

I read your opening post. Then I replied. When your opponent is appealing to a figure without proper authority, I think it's fine to let he/she know it's a fallacy.

You claim to witness frequent abuses. I guess my point was that it's pretty hard to find true abuse of this "appeal to authority" label considering that there are no legitimate authorities anywhere on the planet to appeal to in the first place concerning whether Jesus was a myth or a historical reality. Since there is no rock solid, or remotely credible evidence in either direction it's relatively easy to dismiss the opinion of any author that you disagree with. And that's what's been going on.

outhouse

So you would appeal to ignorance?

David Deas

I've made no argument in support or against. Merely an observation about the sorry state of the debate.

When there is neither credible evidence for or against the proposition, the responsible thing to do is to withhold judgement. That's what we do in my field of study, where wild speculation actually carries tangible consequences.

But I suppose filling in the empty blanks with one's own imagination, as in childhood, is something humanities majors never *unlearn* how to do. In fact, they're encouraged to do so is seems.

outhouse

Exactly what part of this dont you understand then?

appeal to proper authority is intellectually responsible research.

David Deas

The part that I don't understand is you talking about appeals to proper authority in a thread concerning the historicity of Jesus Christ; subject matter wherein no proper authority can be said to exist. You used the terms "myther" and "apologist" in the opener I believe.

Either you completely disagree with my prior statement that there can be no such thing as an authority on such a matter, or you meant something else by "not really even a argument here"??

Do you have an example of a legitimate authority? Do you therefore have an example of said abuse, labeling a valid argument as an appeal to authority fallacy?

outhouse

This has never been a thread about the historicity of Jesus.


There are mythicist and there are apologist, and there are a few authorities within each that can in places, be used as a proper authority in certain context.

Juma

No it is not. Appeal to good reasearch (papera, surveys etc) is responsible research.

outhouse

So good research doesnt qualify under authority?

Juma

Not necessarily.