Commentary
Do we know the best way to decide if specific empirical claims are true?
Of course we do. The best way is by using the procedures of science.
Scientists critically examine the arguments and evidence in research studies to find weaknesses and fallacies. If there are no weaknesses or fallacies, the evidence enters the realm of science. But if there are weaknesses, the research has low—or zero—credibility, and the evidence does not become a building block of science.
In a historical context, seemingly good evidence may not stay as science because the claim will be continually evaluated by researchers. This scientific process is not failsafe, but it is better than other procedures for figuring out the veracity of empirical truth claims….