From now on, whenever I hear or read "most experts believe" used
rhetorically, I am going to ask "how many out of how many?" Here is why:
- I do not believe the veracity such claims unless I see actual data
backing them up.
- I believe that such a survey of expert opinions is practically
impossible due to boundaries of time, location, language,
persistence of publishing, and the ephemeral nature of opinions.
- I do not believe there is an equitable or sensible solution as to
which votes to count and which to exclude in a survey of expert
opinions.
- Such statements are an [appeal to authority fallacy][] if used
rhetorically.
In other words, I find it unlikely that anyone can actually
authoritatively say "most experts believe" anything, and I think the
matter of expert opinion is irrelevant in any case. So why are such
rhetorical phrases used so frequently?
**Note:** This article of mine was previously published on another site.