Are authorship doubters just conspiracy theorists?
It is absurd to think that all of the many outstanding authorship skeptics are conspiracy theorists. Too many highly credible people have expressed serious doubts, focusing just on this one author. This ad hominem argument is a red herring used by defenders of orthodoxy to change the subject. Those who resort to it should be asked for evidence that independent experts support this charge. It is a convenient way for them to avoid having to deal with evidence that does not support them. In writing our declaration, we have focused on evidence. Those who disagree should do likewise.” Let me take this apart: 1. “Too many highly credible people have expressed serious doubts, focusing on just this one author.” — The ‘doubters’ aren’t clear here on what they mean by “highly credible.” They excitedly report, for instance, that “More stars declare their doubt of Shakespeare”. What evidence do these “stars” have for their doubt? (I will return to the issue of evidence momentarily.) And yes, some
