...but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.
A fallacy; where the speaker, when confronted with expert opinion/testimony that opposes his point, asserts that the "experts" are in an fact wrong. Einstein is often replaced with any number of other visionaries who were derided by their contemporaries but ultimately vindicated (the Wright brothers, Gallileo, etc.) Often a form of
AdHominem, as the reason for the experts being wrong is one of:
- The experts are biased.
- The experts are self-selected (anyone who holds opinion A is an expert; anyone who does not is not. See NoTrueScotsman)
- The experts are corrupt; often invoked by SnakeOilSalesmen? when the medical community objects to some form of quackery being peddled. (i.e. "The reason doctors don't like my miracle cure is because they know it will put them all out of business!")
- The experts are evil.
Nazi Germany published a book titled something like "50 scientists against Einstein".
Einstein responded "Why 50? If I was wrong, 1 would be enough."
Opposite, sort of, of
AdVerecundiam. Similar to
EveryoneHasHisOpinion
They Laughed At Einstein
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(last edited July 14, 2005)