Quote:
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Originally Posted by Letum
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aramike
You said it: you can't prove a negative. So why bother?
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"Negatives do not require proof"
is a little closer to the mark than "you can't prove a negative".
Rather than:
1) 'E' has not been proved
2) Thus 'E' is false
We should say:
1) 'E' should be considered true if (and only if) proved
2) 'E' has not been proved |
I was actually echoing what AngusJS said regarding negatives.
In any case, "you can't prove a negative" is an accurate statement in that it applies to those who make a claim then say "prove it doesn't exist", although it really only applies to the metaphysical. For instance, one could lie and say that they have 200 bars of gold buried in their yard. A simple excavation would prove this inaccurate.
Perhaps it is best said that one cannot prove a negative if it is not of a physical nature.