#epistemology #rationality # [[Epistemic status]] #shower-thought # Related - [[Philosophy/Rationality/Seeking falsification]] - [[Philosophy/Epistemology/Beyond falsifiability]] - [[Philosophy/Epistemology/Metaphysical conversations]] - [[Philosophy/Rationality/Bulverism]] # Reductio ad absurdum Reductio ad absurdum is a type of logical argument which seeks to prove a statement by showing that its opposite leads to an absurd or logically impossible conclusion. It is often used to disprove a statement by showing that it would lead to a contradiction. This form of argument is especially useful in mathematics, where it can be used to prove theorems by showing that they would lead to an absurd result if they were false. Reductio ad absurdum can also be used to disprove a hypothesis by showing that its acceptance would lead to a contradiction.