The 6 Most Important Types of Deniers (Explained)

We live in the information age. So much so that, although we have direct access to any scientific data, many prefer to deny it. It is about the denialist movements.

We will dedicate the following lines to discover what are the foundations of these groups and the types of denialsWhy do these paradoxical ideas arise? Likewise, we will know the most popular types, both historically and currently.

• Related article: "The 15 types of research (and characteristics)"

What is nagationism?

Before we begin to list the different types of deniers, we must start with an introduction in which it is clear what this phenomenon consists of. Denial is a type of irrational thinking that is studied within psychology. Consists in the non-acceptance of a reality that can be verified empirically.

One of the reasons why denialism is exercised is to avoid accepting a scenario that causes the subject some discomfort on a psychological level. In this sense, it is easier for him to choose not to believe the evidence, even if it is easily verifiable, as we will see later when studying the different types of deniers.

This discomfort that we were talking about can be generated by a whole series of reasons. On some occasions they are of a religious nature, since the reality presented conflicts with the person's beliefs. In others, political factors intervene, and it is a matter of impact on their ideals and tendencies.

Likewise, the person's own interest can also trigger the rejection of the evidence and turn him into one of the types of deniers that we will see later. Of course, denial can be generated by a mixture of several of the factors that we have listed, because sometimes these facets of people's lives are difficult to separate.

Denier Tactics

A denier will not only reject scientific evidence on the subject in question, but will carried out a series of tactics to achieve consolidate the position that he defends, that is, the opposite of the official one. Let's look at some of these mechanisms before going on to enumerate the different types of deniers.

1. Conspiracy

The first argument generally used by deniers is that of conspiracy. This people they firmly believe that governments, influential people or certain hidden powers have developed a ploy to impose a reality that is not true. On the contrary, there is another truth, the authentic one, which is what they defend.

This mechanism also gives them a feeling of moral legitimacy, since it turns them into fighters in pursuit of the truth, in the face of a system that tries to silence them and impose a lie, that the majority of society has accepted.

2. Support in isolated articles

When we review the types of deniers, we observe that these groups tend to make a very particular selection of evidence. They reject all scientific evidence about the phenomenon in question and choose very specific articles, generally not very rigorous or with defects in their procedures, but whose conclusions are in line with the position that defend.

Therefore, for these individuals, all the articles are wrong and lie, except those that, indeed, present results consistent with the denialist position in which they stand firm.

• You may be interested in: "The 8 steps of the scientific method"

3. fake experts

They often turn to fake experts, people who likewise advocate the denial position and are apparently an authority in the field in question. However, on many occasions it is shown that either this subject is not such an authority or his speech obeys other types of interests.

In addition, the various types of deniers choose experts very well and, as was the case with the articles, reject the opinions of any scientist, professor or other professional who support demonstrable realityWell, for them it's a conspiracy.

4. Change the rules of the game

Another strategy used is that of changing the rules of the game. If a denier on a certain subject asks a non-denier person for proof that certifies that reality, and said subject is given it, provided, the denialist can choose to say that this proof is not valid and that he needs another new one, or more concrete one or with certain conditions.

This supposes a change of the rules of the game or what is popularly known as moving the goal posts. The goal is to constantly change the requirements so as not to accept as valid any evidence that supports the concept they deny.

5. Use of logical fallacies

Likewise, among the individuals that we can classify as different types of deniers, it is common to make use of logical fallacies. For example, they can resort to false analogy, establishing comparisons between elements that are completely independent of each other. and therefore are not necessarily governed by the same logic.

Other logical fallacies would be the use of the red herring, the appeal to the possible consequences or the use of the straw man, among others.

The different types of deniers

After a first part that has allowed us to better understand what the phenomenon of denialism consists of and what its most common tactics are, we are in a position to get to know some of the most important types of deniers due to the strength of the facts they deny, in some cases, or the current importance they have, in others.

1. Holocaust deniers

When we think of the types of deniers, one of the first that comes to mind is those who believe that the Holocaust never really existed. This people maintain that during World War II, Nazi Germany did not systematically exterminate six million Jews and people of other races.

Regardless of all the documented evidence that exists, these individuals say that this event did not occur, or at least not in the way that has been accepted. This would be the case of Holocaust revisionists.

The most controversial case was that of the British historian David Irving, Holocaust denier, who was sentenced to three years in prison for breaking one of the laws of Austria of the year 1947 in which the denial of the crimes of National Socialism is expressly prohibited.

2. Moon landing deniers

One of the milestones in the history of humanity, as was the arrival on the Moon, in the year 1969, continues being questioned today by a group of people who represent another type of deniers. In this case, these people They affirm that our satellite was never reached, and it was all a publicity stunt in the context of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR.

One of the most recurrent arguments used by these deniers is the fallacy of, if it is true that man reached the Moon, how is it possible that he has not returned since then. The reality is that he did in fact turn. Through the Apollo program, it was possible to take human beings to the Moon up to six times, allowing twelve people to walk on its surface.

That this feat could have been carried out does not imply that it is cheap. In fact, the cost of this space program, discounted to today's value of money, would be equivalent to about 150,000 million dollars, reason enough to intuit why it has not returned more usual.

3. Deniers of the spherical Earth or flat earthers

More bloody than the previous example, is that of those types of deniers among which are people who, today, in the 21st century, They maintain that the Earth is not spherical but flat.. Regardless of whether even the Greek mathematician, Eratosthenes, over 2,000 years ago, would have proved this point by the most rudimentary means possible.

He was able to estimate the circumference of the Earth, calculate the inclination of the planet's axis and even dared to carry out studies about the distance that separates us from the sun. Although it was not entirely precise, his reasoning and approximations are extraordinary, given the time in which he lived and the means he had.

4. Deniers of the benefits of vaccines

Continuing with the different types of deniers, within the medical field we can find those who they not only deny the benefits of vaccines, but consider them harmful for the body due to the various elements they contain.

Anti-vaxxers, therefore, believe that these drugs not only do not eliminate the disease against which they are designed (even denying the existence of said pathologies, in some cases), but they consider these compounds harmful pharmacological.

At an even higher level of denialism would be those individuals who consider that through vaccines can implant population control chips and other conspiracies of the same level.

5. climate change deniers

Another hot topic would be climate change, which has led to the emergence of another type of denier. This people they think that the temperature differences that are being recorded on Earth in recent decades correspond to the usual cycles of the planet and therefore have nothing to do with human activity.

6. Deniers of the COVID-19 pandemic

Finally, in a list of the types of deniers, we cannot forget those who deny the coronavirus pandemic. Although it is true that the situation that humanity has experienced due to the impact of this virus has been extremely chaotic, and misinformation lurks in every corner, there is a group of people who deny the elderly.

These individuals directly reject the possibility of the mere existence of the virus and they affirm that it is all a strategy of the global powers to subdue citizens and restrict their freedoms.

Bibliographic references:

• Diethelm, P., McKee, M. (2009). Denialism: what is it and how should scientists respond? The European Journal of Public Health.
• Schmid, P., Betsch, C. (2019). Effective strategies for rebutting science denialism in public discussions. Nature Human Behaviour.
• Specter, M. (2009). Denialism: How irrational thinking harms the Planet and threatens our lives. The Penguin Press.