Joseph McCabe

Is Spiritualism Based on Fraud? Joseph McCabe

In this book from 1920, freethinker and former Catholic priest Joseph McCabe critiques the spiritualist movement, which was then in its heyday. Particularly, he builds on his public debate with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes novels and spiritualist champion to attack spiritualist claims as a whole. Whether one agrees with McCabe overall, I think any reader will be forced to concede he makes some very salient points. It is indeed unfortunate that for instance so much of spiritualism and other doctrines are clearly based on emotional appeal, as Conan Doyle openly admitted. That is, the desire for loved ones not to be dead. Who could blame any person for wanting this? McCabe doesn't, certainly, but as he makes clear that is not enough. If we want to convince others with reason rather than just passion, we must argue based on the evidence. A classic in rationalism and critical thinking which any reader interested in such topics will enjoy.