The Chamber of Skeptics

[Joyce]

No: HPFGUIDX 46378

I got this article in my email a few days ago from CSICOP (It is an 
organization that investigates claims of the paranormal with a skeptic's 
eye) about the Harry Potter books. Most skeptics dismiss the books without 
a second glance.

 From the article:
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"When it comes to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, it's probably fair to 
say that card-carrying skeptics, not all but certainly many of them, have 
tended to view the books with
well, skepticism. My good friend Matt 
Nisbet's "Generation sXeptic" column on this website, for instance, once 
mentioned the Harry Potter "fantasy yarns" in the same breath as the New 
Age self-help manual Who Moved My Cheese?"
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"The underlying concern here seems to be that there's something amiss with 
our culture if even our most popular and dominant fictional narratives so 
heavily emphasize the supernatural."
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"Certainly Rowling's books are full of magic and fantastic creatures; and 
as I've written elsewhere, they also stack the deck against ordinary 
"Muggles" (yes, skeptics are most definitely Muggles). Yet the books' 
clever plotting, playful charm, and knowing parallels to our own 
reality—Quidditch equals British football, Hogwarts is a boarding school, 
and so on—have been equally crucial to their literary success."
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"And not only does Harry flout rules; by doing so he regularly ends up 
saving the day. Clearly, Rowling's books promote individualism, independent 
thought, and even irreverence, attributes that feed into the skeptical 
outlook. In fact, it's hard to think of a better literary affirmation of 
Carl Sagan's mantra that arguments from authority carry no weight in 
science than the way Harry and his friends behave in J.K. Rowling's novels."
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As a skeptic and unashamed Muggle who loves Harry Potter, I was most 
pleased with the article and wanted to share with the class. This shows why 
even us Skeptics (Muggles) can enjoy it.  I am nuts about the books. *eye 
squint*  This (along with finally finding adults to discuss the book with) 
makes me feel a little less alone.  :o)

This is the article in CSICOP:
http://www.csicop.org/doubtandabout/harrypotter/index.html

The enjoyable Washington Post article written by the same author as 
referenced ("as I've written elsewhere") above:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20034-2002Oct25.html



J-
(aka c-toast and hyperpuppy)