As an investigative tool, we know of none better than the methodology of Science. Born out of the philosophical rigor of Western Civilization, that was its assignment: to investigate and discover the facts. Its assignment never was to discover the truth (or the TRVTH, if you prefer). It is our values, informed by the facts, which will take us to the truth. Our opponents seek to inundate us with facts (‘science’), then lead us to conclusions (ideas) without ever examining the underlying values that inform those ideas. I call that practice the “fallacy of the smuggled concept.” Our friends, boop and A-G, describe it as “doing philosophy under the colour of science.” Same thing.
[[Our opponents seek to inundate us with facts (‘science’), then lead us to conclusions (ideas)]]
I think that’s backwards- they want to present us with hteir conclusions, then lead us to the facts that they’ve tailored to fit their conclusions, and every single instance of this tailored fabrications invloves a priori assumptions to ‘fill in the gaps’. The facts are expanded WAY beyond their true evidences and meanings. So far so that it’s become the weaving of a just so myth that takes a tremendous amount of facts ignroing faith to beleive. It’s religion dressed up in a lab coat- plain and simple.