The author is simply continuing the thesis he sets forth in his book<i>.<p></i><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9823893/The-Heretics-by-Will-Storr-review.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9823893...</a><p>His basic point is many people who claim to dislike things is that they themselves have no evidence. e.g. you may dismiss homoeopathy but you have done no research nor read any research nor can cite it so what do you really know?<p>Whilst there is something in that, I think he has missed the point of peer reviewed science. Society doesn't work because we all know the same things. We have hierarchy and referencing and reputation. A weakness is that sometimes it can be subverted, but it will always get back on track. There is no one moment of perfect understanding