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The history of pseudoscience is the study of pseudoscientific theories over time. A pseudoscience is a set of ideas that presents itself as science, while it does not meet the criteria to properly be called such.
Distinguishing between proper science and pseudoscience is sometimes difficult. One popular proposal for demarcation between the two is the falsification criterion, most notably contributed to by the philosopher Karl Popper. In the history of pseudoscience it can be especially hard to separate the two, because some sciences developed from pseudosciences. An example of this is the science chemistry, which traces its origins to the pseudoscience alchemy.
The vast diversity in pseudosciences further complicates the history of pseudoscience. Some pseudosciences originated in the pre-scientific era, such as astrology. Others developed as part of an ideology, such as Lysenkoism, or as a response to perceived threats to an ideology. An example of this is creationism, which was developed as a response to the scientific theory of evolution.
Despite failing to meet proper scientific standards, many pseudosciences survive. This is usually due to a persistent core of devotees who refuse to accept scientific criticism of their beliefs, or due to popular misconceptions. Sheer popularity is also a factor, as is attested by astrology which remains popular despite being rejected by a large majority of scientists.
19th century
Spiritualism in the 19th century
During the 19th century, belief in Spiritualism (sometimes referred to as "Modern Spiritualism" or "Spiritism") or "Modern American Spiritualism" grew phenomenally. The American version of this movement has been traced to the Fox sisters who in 1848 began claiming the ability to communicate with the dead. The religious movement would remain popular until the 1920's, when renowned magician Harry Houdini began exposing famous mediums and other performers as frauds (see also Harry Houdini#Debunking spiritualists).
20th century
The the 20th century saw the rise of various new pseudosciences, and the demise of several old ones such as Spiritualism.
Creationism in the 20th century
Main article: History of creationismWhen the modern evolutionary synthesis overcame the eclipse of Darwinism in the first half of the 20th century, American fundamentalist Christians began opposing the teaching of the theory of evolution in public schools. They introduced numerous laws to this effect, one of which was notoriously upheld by the Scopes Trial. In the second half of the century the Space Race caused a renewed interest in science and worry that the USA was falling behind on the Soviet Union. Stricter science standards were adopted and led to the re-introduction of the theory of evolution in the curriculum. The laws against teaching evolution were now ruled unconstitutional, because they violated the separation of church and state. Attempting to evade this ruling, the Christian fundamentalists produced a supposedly secular alternative to evolution, Creationism. Perhaps the most influential publication of this new pseudoscience was The Genesis Flood by young earth creationists John C. Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris.
Ancient astronaut theories
Main article: Ancient astronautsThe dawn of the space age also inspired various versions of ancient astronaut theories. While differences between the specific theories exists, they share the idea that intelligent extraterrestrials visited Earth in the distant past and made contact with then living humans. Popular authors, such as Erich von Däniken, began publishing in the 1960's.
See also
Histories of specific pseudosciences
Examples of pseudosciences
Other relevant articles
References
- "Pseudoscientific - pretending to be scientific, falsely represented as being scientific", from the Oxford American Dictionary, published by the Oxford English Dictionary
- The Skeptic's Dictionary entry on 'Pseudoscience'
- Humphrey Taylor. "The Religious and Other Beliefs of Americans 2003". Retrieved 2007-01-05.
- "Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
- "Astrology". Encarta. Microsoft. 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
Scientists have long rejected the principles of astrology, but millions of people continue to believe in or practice it.
- Astrology: Fraud or Superstition? by Chaz Bufe "Astrology Fraud or Superstition". See Sharp Press.
- Podmore, Frank (1903). "Modern Spiritualism. A History and a Criticism". The American Journal of Psychology. 14 (1): 116–117. doi:10.2307/1412224.
- Britten, Emma Hardinge. (1870). Modern American Spiritualism. New York,.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - The Skeptic's Dictionary entry on 'Spiritualism'
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