Fallibility

John Stuart Mill once wrote that anyone who would suppress dissent on any subject assumes his own infallibility - at least in so far as the subject in question is concerned. Practically speaking, his posture is, “why entertain further discussion, when I currently have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Indeed. Why would anyone?

Of course, no one will admit to thinking himself infallible. All of us concede precisely the opposite. But that doesn’t matter. As Mill pointed out, the vast majority of those who admit their own fallibility take no practical steps to account for it. Practical steps would include remaining open-minded. But they would also include active reflection on the quality of the reasons I have for believing what I believe, buttressed by my active inquiry when I discover those reasons to be suspect (or non-existent).

But how many people do any of this?

Actually, the situation is worse than Mill feared. People admit that they could be wrong, but often take extraordinary steps to avoid acknowledging error in their beliefs – at least in the beliefs that they care about. The issue of Gay marriage is a perfect example. No amount of evidence or force of argument is going to change the Protectmarriage.com crowd’s minds on this issue. They’ll continue to cite the same non-existent studies – which they weren’t willing (or able) to introduce (or defend) in court. They’ll accuse the Judge of bias – when his written opinion is a model of clarity and analytical rigor. They’ll defiantly declare that evidence vindicates their position and that the Judge systematically ignored the evidence – while simultaneously fighting tooth and nail to prevent the trial video from reaching the public.

Support for George W. Bush is another great example.

But I digress. Most of the time, this feature of human psychology doesn’t harm anyone. But the criminal justice system is one place where it does. This Interview with Peter Neufeld, founder of The Innocence Project, illustrates just how tragic this human tendency can be.

His answer to the final question is the best illustration of all.

Joe H.