Critical rationalism should be the epistemology of zoology because criterion par falsifiability conducts scientific method. Critical rationalism trumps skeptical empiricism because the former better fits the scientific method. Skeptical empiricism excessively abandons rationalism, relying too heavily on senses, thus allowing contradictions. Deductive reasoning, the law of identity, and Occam’s Razor all are key.
Perhaps cryptozoology is a philosophy NOT a pseudoscience. “The Modeling Differential Equations: (P)' = ~S. A derivative of philosophy is approximately science. (S)' = ~E. A derivative of science is approximately engineering” (Ohnemus 2023). Animals deemed cryptids could eventually be found. Science derives from philosophy. Risks may disincentivize dismissal of cryptids. “1) Tradition (what has worked?) 2) risk analysis 3) skin in the game” (Ohnemus 2024). Traditionally, plenty of species formally considered cryptids, now exist under scientific consensus. Believing science is settled leads to risks. What if a former cryptid attacks? What if diseases could be cured with a former cryptid’s DNA? People don’t desire being attacked. People should know the risks of cryptids.
Tail risks disincentivize dismissing cryptology. “Tail risk is a form of portfolio risk that arises when the possibility that an investment will move more than three standard deviations from the mean is greater than what is shown by a normal distribution” (Hayes 2023). Quite analogously, or by extension, finance directly is to human life. Quantifying three standard deviations from the mean is difficult without a clear baseline probability. What are the probabilities a plesiosaur will eat someone? Unlikely, but still enough to take cryptozoology seriously.
Criterion of falsifiability is synonymous with critical rationalism. According to the criterion of falsifiability, “a theory is scientific only if possible…false” (Britannica 2024). A healthy skepticism (named critical rationalism) is entertaining tail risks of animals not yet deemed mythological. Cryptological is not mythological. Skeptical empiricism’s “belief formation by repetition” separates it from critical rationalism (Parusniková 2018). Both skeptical empiricism and critical rationalism derive from deductive reasoning, however, the former embraces sensation as the source of all knowledge. Whereas critical rationalism is self-critically rationalist rather than haphazardly empiricist.
Cryptozoology is “the study of and search for animals and especially legendary animals (such as Sasquatch) usually in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence” (Merriam-Webster). Senses can fool humans. People misidentify animals. Some cryptids are worth more investigation than others. “Komodo dragon..Platypus… Okapi…Gorilla… Giant squid… Bondegezou” and “…Kangaroo” all name former singular cryptids (Davis 2020). Solidifying cryptology as a philosophy and NOT a pseudoscience. Maybe a better name is zoological philosophy. Plus, none of them are ocean dwellers thus, many deep-sea cryptids may exist. Oceans are more difficult to chart than land is.
Per “deduction, in logic, a rigorous proof, or derivation, of one statement (the conclusion) from one or more statements (the premises)—i.e., a chain of statements, each of which is either a premise or a consequence of a statement occurring earlier in the proof” (Britannica 2024). Cryptology could become a rigorous philosophy of deductive reasoning. Cryptozoologists should avoid induction. The process of elimination is fundamental to cryptozoology. The process of elimination “the act of considering and rejecting each possible choice until only one is left” manifests deductive reasoning (Meeriam-Webster). And should manifest effective cryptid searches. The law of identity prohibits contradictions. Upon contradiction, premises and ideas need adjustment. Occam’s Razor states heuristically, with all else the same, out of competing explanations, the simpler one is more plausible. Only “20%” of the ocean is explored, mystifying the other “80%” (Abyss 2024). Plenty of cryptids could hide in the uncharted 80% of the ocean. Plenty of dinosaurs could be hiding. Many extinctions are now very uncertain. Maybe the Loch Ness Monster actually is a plesiosaur. Many water life cryptids are ESPECIALLY up for debate. Tail risks are up. Fat tails are in.
Edited from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382026212_CRZ_Critical_Rationalist_Zoology.
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