Lilienfeld Alliance

Keynote Speakers

The goal of the Lilienfeld Alliance is to connect instructors who teach critical thinking at the college and university level, to advocate for course content that promotes rational skepticism, and to encourage further study of best practices in the pedagogy of teaching such courses. 

By "rational skepticism" we refer to the practice of evaluating evidence for claims before taking a position. It generally involves investigating claims that go beyond mainstream established science, including pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and the like. This often requires us to challenge false beliefs. In higher education, we may use rational skepticism as a form of critical thinking. 

We welcome scholars from all academic disciplines who use rational skepticism in their work. 

The Alliance is named to honor Professor Scott Lilienfeld and his work that demonstrated the need to address pseudoscience directly in higher education, as described in this presentation: 

Membership of the Lilienfeld Alliance is open to instructors in higher education, including community colleges and four-year universities, including those on the tenure track as well as lecturers. It is open to those who teach whole courses dedicated to rational skepticism and the use of refutation, as well as those who incorporate such teaching into their topical classes, and those who hope to find guidance for doing so in the future. 

Membership is not open to teachers in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. While we hope to combine our efforts with those teachers in the future, right now we are about higher education. 

Want to join? 

There is no membership fee. You must be an instructor in higher education. 

Please tell us who you are and we'll be in touch.

https://skepticalinquirer.org/the-lilienfeld-alliance-for-the-teaching-of-rational-skepticism-in-higher-education/