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Definition:
An ad hoc hypothesis, common in pseudoscience, the paranormal and religion, is some idea
which is created in order to explain away evidence which contradicts some favorite idea. Sometimes
an ad hoc hypothesis is very vague, like claiming that "God works in mysterious ways" whenever
reality fails to conform to religious expectations. Other times, an ad hoc hypothesis can be very
specific, like when a psychic claims that an experiment fails because of all of the "negative
energy" being given off by skeptics (meaning, then, that experiments can only be performed
when the skeptics are gone and true believers remain - very convenient).
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is the Logic and the Philosophy of Language?
The two fields Logic and the Philosophy of Language are often treated separately, but they are nevertheless close enough that they are presented together here. Logic is the study of methods of reasoning and argumentation, both proper and improper. The Philosophy of Language, on the other hand, involves the study of how our language interacts with our thinking.What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
