Ignotum Per Ignotius

[vbloke]

An explanation which is even more obscure than the thing it purports to explain. Literally, "the unknown by the more unknown."

I like this - neatly explains the whole "god of the gaps" argument.

[Dr B]

Mark

Do you mean this is the proper term for trying to explain one mystery with another mystery, or does it merely pertain to when an explanation is actually more vague than the phenomena it seeks to explain (as you seem to suggest).

Seems to be the main violation of Occam O0

[vbloke]

a bit from column A and a bit from column B I'm afraid...

generally speaking, it's like Donald Rumsfeld's

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.

if that makes it any clearer

[Dr B]

Cheers Mate

I think I understand the fallacy - I just wondered if it could be be extended to the 'one mystery via another mystery' mistake that many woo-type explanations make....

PS - happy new year..... O0

[vbloke]

personally, I think it's vague enough to cover both

and HNY to you too

[Admin]

I just wondered if it could be be extended to the 'one mystery via another mystery' mistake that many woo-type explanations make....


From what I have read on it it's more a case of trying to explain something mysterious with something even more mysterious.

OTOH, how can one unknown be more unknown than another unknown?

It probably does cover that scenario.

Good find Mark - I'd never heard of it.

[vbloke]

I was reading the Canterbury Tales (it's in The Canon's Yeoman's Tale) - but it was sometime around new year and I had to go and look it up as I was intrigued by what it meant.

I'd never heard of it before either and can't find many examples listed on other skeptical sites, so we may have a scoop here!


And Plato answerde unto hym anoon,
"Take the stoon that Titanos men name."
"Which is that?" quod he. "Magnasia is the same,"
Plato. "Ye, sire, and is it thus?
is ignotum per ignocius.
What is Magnasia, good sire, I yow preye?"
"It is a water that is maad, I seye,
elementes foure," quod Plato.