Example
People claim that certain Sant Babai have powers to read minds, know things supernaturally etc. However, when you ask them, why these Sant Babai don’t use their powers to warn people about predators or fake Sant Babai, these people say that they can not use their powers to interfere in the divine will. Yet they claim that the Sant baba knows everything.
Understanding the Unfalsifiability Fallacy:
- Definition: The Unfalsifiability fallacy occurs when someone makes a claim that cannot be proven false because it is constructed in such a way that no evidence could ever disprove it. The claim is often framed in a way that it is immune to counter-evidence, making it impossible to test or verify.
- Characteristics:
- Impossible to Test or Disprove: The claim is structured so that no matter what evidence is provided, it can always be explained away or reinterpreted.
- Often Linked to the Supernatural: Claims about supernatural forces, divine will, or metaphysical concepts are common in unfalsifiable reasoning because they exist outside the realm of empirical investigation.
- Ad Hoc Explanations: New, additional explanations are created as needed to protect the claim from being disproven (often without logical consistency).
Applying It To The Example
- Initial Claim:
- Supernatural Powers: People claim that certain Sant Babai have supernatural powers, such as reading minds or knowing things supernaturally. This is already a claim difficult to verify but can potentially be tested through observation.
- Challenge:
- Reasonable Question: Why don’t these Sant Babai use their powers to warn people about dangers, such as fake Sant Babai or predators?
- Unfalsifiable Response:
- Ad Hoc Explanation: The claimants respond that these Sant Babai cannot interfere with the “divine will.” This explanation makes the claim unfalsifiable, as “divine will” is a concept that cannot be empirically tested, observed, or measured.
- Why It’s Unfalsifiable: The invocation of divine will as an explanation prevents anyone from being able to disprove the claim. If the Sant Baba uses his powers, it’s proof that the powers exist. If the Sant Baba does not use the powers, it’s because it’s against divine will—this response is impossible to falsify, as it depends on a supernatural force that cannot be investigated.
- Why This Is a Fallacy:
- Unfalsifiable Claim: The response appeals to a supernatural or metaphysical concept (divine will) that cannot be proven or disproven. This allows the original claim to stand without having to provide any real evidence or reason for why the powers aren’t used.
- Ad Hoc Rescue: The explanation about divine will is introduced as a way to protect the original claim from criticism. Instead of admitting that the Sant Babai may not have these powers or that the claim is weak, a new, vague justification is created to keep the claim intact.
Why It’s Fallacious Reasoning:
- No Way to Prove or Disprove the Claim: The concept of “divine will” or “supernatural powers that cannot interfere” is an unfalsifiable explanation, which means no evidence could ever disprove it. This places the claim outside the realm of rational or empirical discourse.
- Ad Hoc Adjustments: The reasoning shifts when challenged—now the Sant Babai’s powers are only usable under certain mysterious, unknowable conditions (divine will), which makes it impossible to assess the truth of the original claim.
Conclusion:
In this scenario, the defenders of the Sant Babai are committing the Unfalsifiability fallacy by invoking “divine will” to explain why the Sant Baba cannot use his supposed powers to help people. This makes the claim impossible to challenge, as “divine will” is a concept that cannot be tested or disproven. This reasoning allows the claim to persist without having to provide evidence or accountability, which is why it’s considered fallacious.
You can still believe in unfalsifiable claims, but recognise them as just that — beliefs!