What follows is a selection of plausible sounding arguments often put forward in favour of homeopathy.  Many of them have a convincing ring and are to be found in a variety of homeopathic web sites and books, in fact many of the questions below are direct quotes from such material.

They are sometimes put forward by people who should know better and who rightly wouldn’t accept such arguments if used to try to convince them that a conventional drug was safe or effective.

When they are looked at in a little detail however they are found to be inadequate to convince an impartial observer that homeopathy works.  All they do is confuse the issues and cloud the real argument, generating a lot of heat, without achieving much that is constructive to either side.

Nevertheless they still continue to be put forward, often in the belief that they offer decisive reasons for the continued use of homeopathy.  What is offered here is a discussion of such arguments and the questionable logic behind them.

Argument one:

How can you criticise homeopathy if you haven’t studied it? Once you’ve tried homeopathy you’ll see that it works.  How can you say it doesn’t work if you haven’t tried it?

Argument two:

The emotive language used by the opponents of homeopathy goes far beyond that of any scientific debate; the issue is rather one of politics and belief systems.

Argument three:

The use of ridicule and language offensive to homeopaths shows that sceptics can only mock and have no real understanding of homeopathy.

Argument four:

Many sensible, intelligent people, including the royal family believe in homeopathy, there must be something in it.

Argument five:

Conventional science is incapable of explaining homeopathy, homeopathy is at the cutting edge of science, only those who can understand quantum physics can understand homeopathy.

Argument six:

Homeopathy works by using tiny quantities of a substance to cause healing - this is the same way that vaccines work so why can’t science accept that homeopathy works as well.

Argument seven:

Conventional medicines have hundreds of side effects, homoeopathy is completely safe, surely its use must be justified.  What about thalidomide?

Argument eight:

Scientists are too closed minded to admit that homeopathy works.  After all, they laughed at Columbus and Gallileo, how do we know homeopaths aren’t right too.

Argument nine:

Scientists, doctors and vets rely on income from pharmaceutical companies and the sales of drugs so are covering up the fact that homeopathy works from motives of self interest.  Homeopaths are a persecuted minority.

Argument ten:

Homeopaths treat the whole animal, they act holistically whereas conventional vets use strong drugs to suppress symptoms.  Homeopathy can cure, conventional drugs merely suppress.  Science based medicine/allopathy is incapable of curing anything, instead it merely supresses symptoms which reappear later.  Homeopathy is natural medicine and helps the body to heal itself.

Argument eleven:

Homeopathy works in animals so it can’t be just a placebo effect or ‘mind over matter’.

...veterinary homeopathy - a resource for animal lovers