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What is the difference between a true believer, an empiricist, and a true skeptic?

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Author and Natural Philosopher

Sun 21 Jul 2024
Published 1 year ago.
Updated 1 month ago.
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What is the difference between a true believer, an empiricist, and a true skeptic?

“True believers cling to their dogmatic beliefs like a dog holds onto a bone; nothing will change their minds. They are right, they know they are, and they know everyone else is wrong. In contrast, true skeptics question everything, and at times, refuse to believe anything. This book uses these lenses from our anchor position, the middle ground of the empiricist. A view in which we tend to accept reasonable things as true until proven otherwise. And to be clear, most people are a combination, open-minded in some areas, closed in others.

At times, philosophy must harness the doubt of true skeptics to plant our feet firmly in reality, examining the illusory house of cards constructed by the human mind. At other times, philosophy must leave the solid ground of reality and venture into the clouds, where it delves into the dogmatic convictions of the unknowable, probing questions that defy easy answers. Sometimes, it is in those clouds that it finds the only available answers.” —30 Philosophers, Prestwood.

The book will be out later this year. For now, here’s a bit more  information…

30 Philosophers: A New Look at Timeless Ideas

Immerse yourself in knowledge, not snippets. Pure inspiration from cover to cover. Dive deeper than headlines and memes and explore the minds of the greatest thinkers.
The story of
humanity’s
80 BEST IDEAS,
and the
30 GIANTS
behind them!
Uncover the wisdom of our best ideas!

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher

Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.

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NEW BOOK! NOW AVAILABLE!!

30 Philosophers: A New Look at Timeless Ideas

by Michael Alan Prestwood
The story of the history of our best ideas!
WWB Menu
7 Jan 2026
Essay of the Week
The Architecture of Change: Finding Stability in Flux
Story of the Week
Heraclitus
Quote of the Week
“Everything is in flux.”
Weekly Crossroads!
1. Science »
Will the night sky have stars nearly forever?
2. Philosophy »
What does existence before essence mean?
3. Critical Thinking »
Is cause and effect certain?
4. History!
Who were the Presocratic Philosophers?
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