The Claim-Offence Theory: Scaling the Burden of Proof to the Cost a Claim Imposes

Abstract

A short research paper proposing the Claim-Offence Theory: the more a claim costs the people it is imposed on, the more evidence its maker owes, and the doubter owes no disproof. It tests the rule on a false accusation, a true public-health claim, and religious doctrines that demand obedience and punish disbelief, and states its limits. Drafted with the help of Claude (an AI system by Anthropic); the theory, scope and final edits are the author's.