Are people who reject theories as unscientific closed minded?

The scientific method consists of creating the simplest possible theories that can explain and predict patterns in the natural world. Its critics say that mainstream science is too reductionist, too black and white, and too dismissive of new ideas that don't fit with its established corpus of knowledge. Its defenders say that its strictness is its strength, and it is not closed minded to reject theories that can't be proven without solid evidence.

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Experts In Astrology

Liz Greene Pioneer in Modern Astrology

Agree

...I don’t think [research] is valid from the point of view of trying to prove that astrology works, because if you have the kind of mentality that is dead-set against astrology, you will try to blow holes in the statistics anyway. ... if I took that research to somebody who defines statistical research in a more "scientific" sense, they would say: "Three hundred people is nothing. What you need is 3,000 and a neutral control group." Whatever you do, they’ll find a way to set other tests.

The Closed Minded Pitch The Absolute Disconnect Pitch The Moving Goalpost Pitch

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14 Aug 2001 Source

Experts In Christianity

Andrew Sullivan Journalist, Author

Agree

You find [faith] troubling, I think, purely because it upholds truths that cannot be proved empirically or even, in some respects, logically.

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17 Jan 2007 Source

Disagree

Experts In Psychology

Susan Blackmore Psychology Lecturer, Former Parapsychologist

Disagree

To me an open mind means you are prepared to change your mind if the evidence suggests you should. This sounds simple, but is not. It is a balancing act between having a mind so open that it changes every time the wind blows, and so closed that impossible standards of evidence are required to change it. It is a world away from the kind of ‘open mind’ that critics love to flaunt - the kind that really means “If you agree with me you have an open mind - if you agree with scientists you don’t”.

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01 Jun 2001 Source

Experts In Philosophy

Qualia Soup Educational Video Blogger

Disagree

There seems to be an extremely common experience amongst people who don't believe in certain non-scientific concepts to be told by those who do to be more open-minded. This advice is typically based on highly flawed thinking, including an inaccurate understanding of what open-mindedness is. ...

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31 Mar 2009 Source

Experts In Entertainment

Derren Brown Magician

Disagree

We have information on things like the placebo effect, cold reading, false memories, anecdotal evidence, etc. and taking that on board [is] about being truly open minded. Ignoring them and putting them to one side in this pursuit of easy answers and intuition as the be-all-and-end-all of truth [is] not being open minded at all - that's being narrow minded. And certainly to laugh at people who think evidence is important is hypocrisy of the worst kind.

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10 Dec 2008 Source

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0 Points Packbat 02 Apr 2010 Stance on Question: Disagree

Some theories are unscientific, meaning that they imply nothing, require nothing, and cannot be proved or disproved - and it is simply wise to reject these. It is, of course, possible to pretend to be rejecting theories because they are unscientific, while actually rejecting them for the wrong reason, but this has no bearing on the question.

Is it logically possible that an unscientific theory may be true? Yes, it is. But it is tremendously unlikely, and that is sufficient reason to doubt.

0 Points Clive 05 Mar 2009 Stance on Question: Agree

Well, I have to look at this question here and ask myself, what is the definition of "Open Mindedness". And so, to sight dictionary.com, it is this, "Receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others". So one could infer the those who reject theories or others as unscientific (or just reject others theories) to be close minded.

0 Points Benja 05 Mar 2009 Stance on Question: Disagree

What if:

* I had a theory we can bungee jump without cords?
* I had a theory on how we could get rich, that involved you first depositing all your money into my account?
* I had a theory that you're dreaming right now, and I've been sent into your psyche to wake you up?

Under dictionary.com's definition, you'd have a closed mind if you rejected my theories. The dictionary's job is to tell you how a word is used ordinarily, even if that ordinary usage has circumstances where it makes no sense at all.

0 Points Steve 28 Feb 2009 Stance on Question: Mostly Disagree

Typically people who say scientists are being closed minded don't understand science at all.