Shifting The Burden Of Proof, And Unfalsifiable Claims

“Shifting the burden of proof” is when one party makes an unconfirmed assertion, while putting the burden to disprove the assertion on another party. It’s a logical fallacy because it puts the burden of proof on the negative instead of the affirmative. The burden of collecting evidence to support a claim lies with the person making the claim (the affirmative), not the person challenging the claim (the negative). It is not someone else’s job to debunk an unsubstantiated claim, and the inability to refute the claim does not make it more credible.

• • •