| The Skeptic's Dictionary | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Robert Todd Carroll |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Scientific skepticism |
| Genre(s) | non-fiction |
| Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
| Publication date | August 15, 2003 |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 446 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0471272426 , ISBN 978-0471272427 |
| OCLC Number | 52086432 |
| Dewey Decimal | 001.9 21 |
| LC Classification | Q172.5.P77 C37 2003 |
| Followed by | Becoming a Critical Thinker |
The Skeptic's Dictionary is a collection of cross-referenced skeptical essays by Robert Todd Carroll, published on his website skepdic.com and in a printed book.[1][2][3] The skepdic.com site was launched in 1994 and the book was published in 2003 with nearly 400 entries. As of January 2011 the website has over 700 entries.[4] A comprehensive single-volume guides to skeptical information on pseudoscientific, paranormal, and occult topics, the bibliography contains some seven hundred references for more detailed information. According to the back cover of the book, the on-line version receives approximately 500,000 hits per month.
Contents |
Carroll is an atheist[5] and "hardened skeptic" (one "who has strong disbelief about all things occult"). Carroll states that the book is not meant to present a balanced view on occult subjects – it is intended to be a small counterbalance to the voluminous occult and paranormal literature.[6]
The articles in the book are in several categories:
Print versions are available in Dutch, English, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.[7] Numerous entries have been translated for the Internet in several other languages. A newsletter[8] keeps interested parties up to date on new entries and an archived list of previous newsletters is available for online perusal. Norcross et al. state that Carroll has made considerable progress in exposing pseudoscience and quackery.[9]
According to the author,
Carroll defines each of these categories, explaining how and why, in his opinion, his dictionary may be of interest, use, and benefit to each of them. He also defines the term “skepticism” as he uses it and identifies two types of skeptic, the Apollonian, who is “committed to clarity and rationality” and the Dionysian, who is “committed to passion and instinct.” William James, Bertrand Russell, and Friedrich Nietzsche exemplify the Apollonian skeptic, Carroll says, and Charles Sanders Peirce, Tertullian, Søren Kierkegaard, and Blaise Pascal are Dionysian skeptics.[10]
Roy Herbert's review of the paperback version written for the New Scientist magazine commented that "It is an amazing assembly, elegantly written and level-headed, with a wry remark here and there." and that "This superb work is likely to be used so often that it is a pity it is a softback book.".[2]