Editing Scientific skepticism (section)

=== Perceived dangers of pseudoscience ===

While not all pseudoscientific beliefs are necessarily dangerous, some can potentially be harmful.<ref name=Hammer/> [[Plato]] believed that to release others from ignorance despite their initial resistance is a great and noble thing.<ref>[[Allegory of the cave]], Plato ''[[The Republic (Plato)|The Republic]]'', (New [[Cambridge University Press|CUP]] translation by Tom Griffith and G.R.F. Ferrari into English) {{ISBN|0-521-48443-X}}</ref> Modern skeptical writers address this question in a variety of ways. [[Bertrand Russell]] argued that some individual actions based on beliefs for which there is no evidence of efficacy can result in destructive actions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/russell4.htm|title=On the Value of Scepticism|last=Russell|first=Bertrand|author-link=Bertrand Russell|year=1928|publisher=Positive Atheism|work=The Will To Doubt|access-date=2007-05-27|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222658/http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/russell4.htm|archive-date=2007-09-27}}</ref>
[[James Randi]] often wrote on the issue of [[fraud]] by psychics and faith healers.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,149448,00.html Fighting Against Flimflam] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102130115/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,149448,00.html |date=2012-11-02 }}, [[Time (magazine)|TIME]], Jun. 24, 2001</ref> Unqualified medical practice and alternative medicine can result in serious injury and death.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cancer patients who use alternative medicine more than twice as likely to die|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cancer-patients-who-use-alternative-medicine-are-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-die-a7893541.html|access-date=18 February 2018|work=[[The Independent]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219090232/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cancer-patients-who-use-alternative-medicine-are-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-die-a7893541.html|archive-date=19 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author-link=Ranjana Srivastava|last1=Srivastava|first1=Ranjana|title=What do doctors say to 'alternative therapists' when a patient dies? Nothing. We never talk|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/03/what-do-doctors-say-to-alternative-therapists-when-a-patient-dies-nothing-we-never-talk|access-date=18 February 2018|work=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219090139/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/03/what-do-doctors-say-to-alternative-therapists-when-a-patient-dies-nothing-we-never-talk|archive-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Skeptical activist [[Tim Farley]], who aims to create catalogue of harmful pseudoscientific practices and cases of damage caused by them, estimates documented number of killed or injured to be more than 600,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=counter|last1=Farley|first1=Tim|author-link=Tim Farley|url=http://whatstheharm.net/index.html|website=[[What's The Harm?]]|access-date=18 February 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219112730/http://whatstheharm.net/index.html|archive-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> [[Richard Dawkins]] points to religion as a source of violence (notably in ''[[The God Delusion]]''), and considers [[creationism]] a threat to biology.<ref>[[Richard Dawkins]], ''The God Delusion'', Black Swan, 2007 ({{ISBN|978-0-552-77429-1}}).</ref><ref name="sfgatedawkins">[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/15/RVGH2LN2021.DTL&type=books Better living without God? – Religion is a dangerously irrational mirage, says Dawkins] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525031459/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2006%2F10%2F15%2FRVGH2LN2021.DTL&type=books |date=2012-05-25 }}, [[San Francisco Chronicle]], October 15, 2006</ref> Some skeptics, such as the members of ''[[The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe]]'' podcast, oppose [[Anti-cult movement|certain new religious movements]] because of their cult-like behaviors.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xJDszg7cuwC&pg=PA5|title=Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse|last=Langone|first=Michael D.|year= 1995|publisher=W. Norton. American Family Foundation|isbn=978-0-393-31321-5|page=432|author-link=Michael Langone}}</ref>

[[Leo Igwe]], Junior Fellow at the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bigsas.uni-bayreuth.de/en/members_of_BIGSAS/junior_fellows/igwe_leo/index.html|title=Igwe, Leo – Junior Fellow|work=Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904152800/http://www.bigsas.uni-bayreuth.de/en/members_of_BIGSAS/junior_fellows/igwe_leo/index.html|archive-date=2014-09-04}}</ref> and past Research Fellow of the [[James Randi Educational Foundation]] (JREF),<ref name="hill-20122">{{cite web|url=http://doubtfulnews.com/2012/10/leo-igwe-partners-with-jref-to-respond-to-witchcraft-problem-in-africa/|title=Leo Igwe partners with JREF to respond to witchcraft problem in Africa|author-link=Sharon A. Hill|website=Doubtful News|last1=Hill|first1=Sharon A.|access-date=2013-02-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315170947/http://doubtfulnews.com/2012/10/leo-igwe-partners-with-jref-to-respond-to-witchcraft-problem-in-africa/|archive-date=2013-03-15}}</ref><ref name="jref-20122">{{Cite web|url=http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/1896-jref-staff.html|title=Leo Igwe Appointed as New JREF Research Fellow|work=James Randi Educational Foundation|access-date=2013-02-16}}</ref> wrote ''A Manifesto for a Skeptical Africa'',<ref name="manifesto2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/component/content/article/37-static/1891-leo-igwe.html|title=A Manifesto for a Skeptical Africa|last=Igwe|first=Leo|author-link=Leo Igwe|work=James Randi Educational Foundation|access-date=2013-02-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526084523/http://labs.sucuri.net/?cloudproxy|archive-date=2013-05-26}}</ref> which received endorsements from multiple public activists in Africa, as well as skeptical endorsers around the world.<ref name="manifesto2" /> He is a Nigerian human rights advocate and campaigner against the impacts of [[Witch Children in Africa|child witchcraft]] accusations. Igwe came into conflict with high-profile [[witchcraft]] believers, leading to attacks on himself and his family.<ref name="de-waal-2012">{{Cite web|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-10-suffer-the-little-children/|title=Suffer the little children|last=De Waal|first=Mandy|date=April 10, 2012|work=Mail & Guardian|access-date=2013-02-14|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614213053/http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-10-suffer-the-little-children|archive-date=June 14, 2012}}</ref><ref name="robbins-2011a">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/aug/08/nigeria-witch-children-polio|title=Face to faith: Christian and Islamist extremists in Nigeria are exporting dangerous ideas|last=Robbins|first=Martin|date=August 7, 2009|work=The Guardian|issn=0261-3077|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907022318/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/aug/08/nigeria-witch-children-polio|archive-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Amardeo Sarma]] provided some perspective on the state of the skeptical movement by addressing "the essence of contemporary skepticism and [highlighting] the vital nonpartisan and science-based role of skeptics in preventing deception and harm." He emphasized the dangers of pseudoscience as a reason for prioritizing skeptical work.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sarma |first1=Amardeo |author-link1=Amardeo Sarma |title=Skepticism Reloaded |journal=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |date=2018 |orig-year=Originally published online 6 March 2018|volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=40–43 |url=https://www.ecso.org/skepticism-reloaded/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704163424/https://www.ecso.org/skepticism-reloaded/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-07-04 |access-date=4 July 2018}}</ref>