zlacker

This user seems to be conflating skepticism with denialism. These two groups would take completely different positions on the issues listed (eg. climate change).

>>Square+(OP)
When you say "this user" you're talking about Dr Ichikawa, the professor of philosophy? Who specializes in the very topic you're attempting to correct them on? I can't tell if you're serious or if this is just some sort of Poe's Law attempt to satirize the behavior he's pointing out.

>>wpietr+Kv
The skeptical movement subscribes to critical thinking, empiricism, and applying the scientific model to find answers. To say that skeptics don't believe in climate change is very untrue.

This is contrasted to denialism which denies claims out of hand. This is not based on scientific data, but gut feeling or motivated reasoning.

Dr. Ichikawa is thus describing denialism in his tweets.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeptical_movement

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denialism

edit: Here is an article on the distinction from one of the strongest figures in the skeptical movement, Steven Novella. It even focuses on the topic of climate change.

https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/skeptic-vs-den...

>>Square+2D
You seem to be confusing the skeptical movement, which is indeed a specific group of people, with skepticism, which exists before and outside of that movement.

>>wpietr+FU
Perhaps the meaning has changed, but at the very least that is how the word is used today. As an example /r/skeptic is a large community of people that self-identify as skeptics.

>>Square+bX
Your arrogance continues to astound me. The guy is an actual professor of philsophy talking about his specialty. The word has been used for hundreds of years. Yes, it has a particular meaning in its community. Reddit is not the whole of the world.

>>wpietr+J22
You know what. I can accept that there's a separate meaning in philosophy that this professor uses it in that context. Words often have unique meanings in specific fields.

However the colloquial, general meaning is still that of scientific skepticism. That's what comes up when you search skepticism on Wikipedia, reddit, or various definitions. That's also what is reasonably being referred to in a Hacker News post; a community that often subscribes to the same values expressed in skepticism.

Unless you know this professor and can put his words in their appropriate context, then the whole thing reads as decrying an entire movement of scientifically-minded people.