{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.skepticism","code":"thing-q1395219","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1395219/","name":"skepticism","alternateNames":["pseudoskepticism","COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy","distrust of centralized finance","anti-mask movement","viral denialism","Biblical teaching on skepticism","moral skepticism","philosophical skepticism","euroscepticism","religious skepticism","vaccine hesitancy","Semmelweis reflex"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.QLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"An attitude of doubt or suspended judgement toward claims until adequate evidence is provided, ranging from philosophical skepticism about the possibility of knowledge to scientific skepticism that evaluates claims by evidence and method; the term is also applied, by observers, to doubt directed at scientific or public health consensus, such as vaccine hesitancy or denial of established findings, which scientists and scholars distinguish from evidence-based skepticism, and this entry presents these distinctions with attribution.","purpose":"Let an agent explain skepticism in its philosophical and scientific senses, distinguish evidence-based skepticism from denialism and pseudoskepticism with attribution, describe skeptical traditions and organisations, and present contested applications neutrally.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Evidence-based doubt","Suspended judgement","Method-oriented","Contested applications"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What skepticism is.","layers":[{"id":"philosophy","name":"Philosophy","description":"Philosophical skepticism.","findings":[{"id":"philosophy-finding","name":"Philosophy","description":"Philosophy.","questions":[{"text":"What are the main forms of philosophical skepticism, from Pyrrhonism to modern epistemology, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific philosopher?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"scientific","name":"Scientific","description":"Scientific skepticism.","findings":[{"id":"scientific-finding","name":"Scientific","description":"Scientific.","questions":[{"text":"What is scientific skepticism, and how do skeptical organisations evaluate claims?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific organisation?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"distinguish","name":"Distinguish","description":"Skepticism versus denial.","layers":[{"id":"denialism","name":"Denialism","description":"Denialism and pseudoskepticism.","findings":[{"id":"denialism-finding","name":"Denialism","description":"Denialism.","questions":[{"text":"How do scientists and scholars distinguish evidence-based skepticism from denialism and pseudoskepticism, and what criteria do they use?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral while accurately reporting scientific consensus?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"health","name":"Health","description":"Public health contexts.","findings":[{"id":"health-finding","name":"Health","description":"Health.","questions":[{"text":"How do health bodies and researchers describe vaccine hesitancy and related movements, and what do they recommend for communication?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the user asking for personal medical advice, which needs a clinician?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"practice","name":"Practice","description":"Practising skepticism.","layers":[{"id":"evaluate","name":"Evaluate","description":"Evaluating claims.","findings":[{"id":"evaluate-finding","name":"Evaluate","description":"Evaluation.","questions":[{"text":"How can a claim be evaluated skeptically using evidence, source quality and logical analysis?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which entry fits critical thinking?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"religion","name":"Religion","description":"Religious skepticism.","findings":[{"id":"religion-finding","name":"Religion","description":"Religion.","questions":[{"text":"How is skepticism treated within and toward religious traditions, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation respectful?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"History and teaching.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History of skepticism.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did skeptical traditions develop from antiquity to modern skeptical movements?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can skepticism and critical thinking be taught?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Apply skepticism by asking for evidence and stating confidence levels.","Distinguish philosophical skepticism, scientific skepticism and denialism."],"mustNot":["Present denial of established science as healthy skepticism.","Create false balance between settled science and fringe claims.","Mock people for their doubts or beliefs."],"requiresHuman":["Publishing an assessment that labels a public claim or person as misleading."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Skepticism protects against fraud, but faked doubt has delayed action on health and climate."],"affectedParties":["The public","Scientists","People targeted by misinformation"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns the attitude; it is held in common.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q55919789","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"tendency","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"superstition","type":"related","note":"beliefs skeptics examine"},{"target":"astrology","type":"related","note":"a practice examined by skeptics"},{"target":"contradictory","type":"related","note":"logical evaluation of claims"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.skepticism","Wikidata: Q1395219 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395219)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Doubt until evidence","Philosophical or scientific","Cynicism assumes bad motives; denialism rejects evidence","Not physical; an epistemic attitude."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain philosophical and scientific skepticism","distinguish from denialism with attribution","describe traditions and organisations","present contested applications neutrally"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Conflating skepticism with denialism","Partisan framing of public health debates","False balance on settled science"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Scientific method and evidence standards","Public health communication guidance","No regulation of the attitude"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Doubt pending evidence.","ancient and modern philosophical skepticism","scientific skepticism","religious skepticism","skeptical organisations and movements","contested uses such as science denial labelled as skepticism"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1395219: skepticism","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395219","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Skepticism","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should scientific skepticism be a separate entry?","How should philosophical sources be linked?","How should misinformation research be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1395219/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1395219/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T00:30:19Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}