Introducing the Spuriofact Concept
Definition
A spuriofact is spurious information that is purported to be true by orthodox experts or official government sources. Spuriofacts are widely believed scientific fallacies, or else unsubstantiated scientific claims.
Adopting Princeton University moral philosopher Professor Harry Frankfurt's seminal distinction between lies and bullshit, spuriofacts can be either lies or bullshit.
Frankfurt (2005; pp. 60-61) defines bullshit as being distinct from lies in that a liar knows the truth and seeks to steer the recipient of the message away from the truth, whereas the bullshitter does not know what the truth is and is merely concerned with telling a plausible story:
“He does not reject the authority of the truth, as the liar does, and oppose himself to it at all. He pays no attention to it at all. By virtue of this, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.”
By way of example, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is spreading bullshit, or else deliberate lies, (Sutton 2011a; 2011b) on the Internet regarding spinach being a good source of iron and regarding the benefits of vitamin C to aid the absorption of iron from spinach. The fact that these fallacies are promoted by a department of the US Government, charged with providing the general public and those who advise them on nutrition with orthodox expert advice, is what makes them spuriofacts.
Given the significant prevalence levels of iron deficiency in the USA (Looker et al 1997), and elsewhere in the world, these particular spuriofacts are dangerous counterknowledge.
Many people, worldwide, turn to the expert, orthodox nutritional advice provided by the USDA and believe it to be accurate. It seems reasonable to me, therefore, that the USDA should be called upon by the international community to cease and desist in its promotion of spuriofacts that are likely to adversely impact on rational nutritional choices and nutritional advice given by experts who rely upon USDA information.
References
Frankfurt, H. (2005). On Bullshit. Princeton N.J.. Princeton University Press.
Looker, A. Dallman. P. Carroll, M. Gunter, E. and Johnson, C. (1997) Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1997;277(12):973-976. doi: 10.1001/jama.1997.03540360041028. Available online: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/277/12/973.abstract
Sutton, M. (2011a). Punterization in the Spin@ge: The USDA is Bull-Spreading on Spinach, Iron and Vitamin C. The Blog of Mike Sutton . Available online at: http://www.bestthinking.com/thinkers/science/social_sciences/sociology/mike-sutton?tab=blog&blogpostid=9830
Sutton, M. (2011b) SPIN@GE USA Beware of the Bull: The United States Department of Agriculture is Spreading Bull about Spinach, Iron and Vitamin C on the Internet. Available at: http://www.bestthinking.com/articles/science/chemistry/biochemistry/spin-ge-usa-beware-of-the-bull-the-united-states-department-of-agriculture-is-spreading-bull-about-spinach-iron-and-vitamin-c-on-the-internet
