.
One of the problems skeptics face in using the term 'skeptic' (often 'sceptic' in the UK) as a label identifying our approach to claims and issues is that there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding as to what skepticism actually is. Here I will look at how this confusion arises. There are three main areas where 'skeptic' is used differently to how skeptics define it and use it.

The first reason this occurs is through the fallacy of equivocation ...

Skepticism is an honest search for knowledge. It is an approach to claims akin to the scientific method. It is a powerful and positive methodology (a collection of methods of inquiry) that is used to evaluate claims and make decisions. It is used to search for the (provisional) truth in matters and to make decisions that are based on sound reasoning, logic, and evidence. Skepticism is based on a simple method: doubt and inquiry. The idea is to neither initially accept claims nor dismiss them; it’s about questioning ...