Unfortunately, the scientific method requires us to not take any empirical claim has guaranteed true - even (perhaps especially!?) the ones we are most sure of.
Well ... no. It requires us to take
lots of empirical claims as true. This is why we don't see scenes like this played out in laboratories up and down the land.
Scientist A: So, before I look down my microscope, I'm just going to check the laws of optics one more time.
Scientist B: What's the point? You know we can't
prove the laws of optics are correct, right?
Scientist A: I guess not.
Scientist C: And even if you could, you wouldn't
really know whether you were looking at real things down your microscope, 'cos the Devil might be deceiving you into seeing things that weren't there, yes?
Scientist D: Guys, guys, guys, aren't you all being a little naive here?
What makes you think that that's a microscope?
Scientist A: Well, it was
last time I ... oh ... oh, I see what you mean.
All scientists in chorus: All hail the intellectual rigor of the scientific method!
Edited by Dr Adequate, : No reason given.
™ Version 4.2