...O’Connor exemplifies the ideas of certainty and doubt through characters such as Hazel Motes. While the novel shows cases of certainty and doubt in the past, contemporary articles such as “The Certainty of Doubt” by Cullen Murphy expresses how Certainty and Doubt is exemplified in society. Having certainty creates a clear path as it seems that life is easier...
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...Manuel Suber Ms. Hayes- AP Lang Doubt & Certainty I believe the dispute between certainty and doubt is controversial. Despite the clear sides that people have chosen, there are pros and cons to both. A person’s doubt can cloud their judgment. Yet it can also aid them in making the better decision, by questioning and eliminating the other options. On the other hand, a person’s certainty can blind them from seeing the truth. Never the less, both are necessary in everyday choices of life. Think of certainty and doubt as parts of an automobile. Certainty is the accelerator, and doubt is the steering wheel. You can get nowhere without driving but without steering through the obstacles in your way, you will surely crash. An excess of either is damaging to a person. It is necessary to balance certainty and doubt in order to accomplish all of one’s life goals. Doubt is often viewed as a negative idea, but in it is beneficial. It is not completely contradictory of certainty, but more somewhere in between them. The World English Dictionary’s definition of doubt is “a lack of belief or conviction about something.” We should accept the fact that doubt is a part of us, because it is part of our nature. We are curious from birth, and to question anything and everything that we want to know more about is perfectly acceptable. I feel that it’s more how much doubt that we use, that we should start to feel worried. For example, building a house of cards. Every card we add brings the...
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...complete certainty, others doubt even the hardest of facts. The best balance between certainty and doubt is to reserve a small amount of doubt for every aspect, which allows for constructive arguments and the betterment of society, as too much certainty in a belief can lead to horrible consequences. When individuals develop absolute certainty in a certain belief, the outcome can be catastrophic. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the residents of Salem are very pious members of the Puritan religion. They are so engrossed by their beliefs that...
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...disproved, still aiding and guiding us until this day. The certainty that Phelps describes is what allowed the creation of new laws, inventions, and capabilities. Individuals certain in their beliefs such as Copernicus, Christopher Columbus, and the Wright brothers show the importance of certainty and the insignificance of doubt. Agreed by most of the scientist at the time, the Solar system was once thought to be Geocentric, where Earth is the center of the Universe and the Sun and stars orbit it. Yet Copernicus believed differently, Certain in his own beliefs he defied the World of Science by stating the true orientation of the Solar system is Earth orbiting the Sun. Copernicus’s ideas were Doubted and refuted by all, even the Catholic Church, yet he stood certain and unchanged in his beliefs. Copernicus’s discovery led to the change in the beliefs of many, and accomplished the identification of how the Earth moves. Copernicus shows that Just while...
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...and Gemma discuss whether certainty is necessary for knowledge (beginning, page 11) and end up discussing a lottery with long odds. Briefly summarize the lottery argument and critically evaluate whether it has the implication argued for by Skip. If Skip is right, what implications might there be, and are they acceptable? In this essay, I will be discussing a debate that begins in “The First Conversation” from Jay Rosenberg's Three Conversations About Knowing, on the issue of whether knowledge requires certainty. This debate develops out of Skip and Gemma's dialogue on methodic doubt or Cartesian skepticism, which basically is the systematic doubting of all beliefs and knowledge claims in order to find those we can be certain of, and this will likely come into play when examine into further details. Skip and Gemma move from this into the discussion of whether certainty is required for knowledge. This begins with Skip stating, “You can't know something unless you're certain that it's true,” to which Gemma agrees that knowledge requires certainty (Rosenberg 11). The discussion moves to Skip asking whether Gemma is certain, and hence actually knows, what she had for breakfast, to which he qualifies that “something is certain only if there’s no possibly way to be mistaken about it” (Rosenberg 12). Gemma holds that she can be certain that she had a bagel for breakfast, as she notes that “something is certain just in case there is no actual reason to doubt it” and she holds she has...
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...Mathematics is not murder; murder has no tongue yet evidence can speak beyond a reasonable doubt. A judge can conclude something to be true due to the preponderance of the evidence by their authority alone. In mathematics there is no judge, there is no jury, and there is no authority, there is only truth and falsehood. Our society prides itself on each’s ability to have an opinion on everything no matter how ludicrous. However, in mathematics is that your opinion is irrelevant unless you can prove it beyond “beyond reasonable doubt” and you can prove it it be absolutely true. In this essay I intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that absolute certainty is attainable in theoretical mathematics, and to investigate into the possibility and...
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...Church and the church’s unwavering stances were being challenged during Vatican II. War and birth control were subjects that were being brought up and questioned in ways that the church had never previously seen. The idea that the church could change and was actually being changed by the events happening during the 1960’s was uncomfortable for some people within the church and caused great strife between leaders. The change that was occurring within and surrounding the Church had many people questioning God, his sovereignty, and even his existence. In John Shanley’s short story, “Doubt: A Parable”, Sister Aloysius begins to question her commitment to the church as well as her faith as her certainty about many things like the evilness of using secular songs in Christmas plays, and the morality of the Church were questioned by other leaders within the church. Sister Aloysius’ certainty about even just little things in life begin to be questioned by others in the church causing her to become very resistant to the change and tries to enforce what she has always known. Sister Aloysius was accustomed to Christian songs being played during Christmas performances and believed that secular songs exposed, “a pagan belief in magic,” (Shanley 29) and should not be allowed in the church. She had understood the lyrics to be heretical, but with the Church progresses not everyone had the same strong feelings towards the secular songs. It is assumed that the tradition of only using...
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...Descartes theory of doubt rest on the Latin phrase Cogito Ergo Sum. Translated into English the phrase means “I think, therefore I am”. This theory hinges on what is real and what is false; and mimics the branch of philosophy called Metaphysics. Metaphysics questions the reality of environment as does the method of doubt. Descartes skepticism (method of doubt) is termed methodological, because it presents a process which is used to deduce information to arrive at appropriate conclusions which determines or distinguishes reality from fantasy or a state of confusion. Descartes believed that some outcomes were very clear. He provided an analogy utilizing numbers. With numbers there is a pure outcome once the formula is applied or understood correctly. However, with environment or physical movement it becomes difficult to predict the end result. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of reality, Descartes formulates the theory of doubt and creates a check list of three requirements which must be indubitable fulfilled when applied to the method of doubt. The three requirements are 1) impossibility to doubt – meaning something is absolute 2) independent certainty – a theory which cannot be supported by another and 3) an item which exists so that data can be deduced to confirm existence. “Thinking includes doubting, understanding, denying, willing, refusing, and feeling” all key components in analytic phases of questioning surroundings or concluding certainty. Using these concepts...
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...Karthik Keni Phil 21 Greg Antill Part A: 1. The Evil Demon Argument In Descartes’ First Meditation, he completely shatters the foundations of his previous beliefs and then uses the evil demon argument as a platform in which he can explain the source of his beliefs. Descartes proposes the evil demon argument because he wants to instill doubt not only in himself, but also in his audience that God may not be the only “Supreme Being”. He believes God to be a good being that wouldn’t deceive us and lead our thoughts astray. The evil demon argument has the purpose of casting doubt on his belief that God is the only being who has the capability of implementing thoughts into his mind, creating doubt of the existence of an external world, and aiding his pursuit of a strong and certain foundation for all his knowledge and beliefs. In this argument, Descartes doesn’t refute the reality of a God, however I believe he presents the argument as if they both exist and that if he is being deceived it could not be from God, the good being, but the evil genius providing him with false sensory material. The primary claim of this skeptical argument is to doubt the reality of an external world that has the possibility of being created by an evil demon. Deceit could be defined in such a way that our minds are being controlled by an evil demon and that our senses of an external world are mistaken. Depicting the evil demon argument of Descartes in a science fiction way like “The Matrix,” made me really...
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...much to mathematics as well as philosophy. What does my philosopher believe is real? One thing my philosopher believes is real is the certainty of the existence of god. René Descartes has an awareness about god. And acknowledges the existence of god. One of Descartes metaphysics is his certainty about god which is examined in his Fifth Mediations “Descartes holds that the idea of God is a true and immutable nature and hence it is not something that can be rejected at all in so far as it is ultimately an innate idea”. His view is similar like mine regarding the belief of god. Though his process for believing in god is quite different then of mine, we both have a strong belief in god. My View on Rene Descartes metaphysics regarding the existence of god is disagreement. Descartes argues that god exists beyond any doubt, but I disagree. My view is not like his because, I believe his proof of good relies mostly on false premises. Descartes argues that god exists but what is the actuality of god he does not answer. An example of this can be illustrated by a student doubting whether or not they will make a good grade on the test, because it cannot be guaranteed. The truth is doubt does not grant certainty. If you have to doubt something till you make it certain it was not certain to begin with. Another thing believed by Rene Descartes is the certainty about objects. Descartes is certain about the objects in the real world. Descartes has a “awareness of objects in the real world…awareness...
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...Descartes talk of his desire for certainty and truth and the method he uses to determine truth and falsity. The text shows Descartes method of making certain the knowledge he obtains and he does not limit this to philosophical knowledge he uses his method in seeking all forms of truth be it the sciences, theology or philosophy. Throughout the text Descartes talks of the importance of certainty and truth and begins by stating that the ability to distinguish what is true and false, or “good sense” as Descartes called it, is not a talent inherent to a few chosen intellectuals who received education but as something that everyone possesses and can develop. He backs this up by making an account of his years studying in both the literature of the ancients and the sciences and despite all his studying ended up realizing that he was still had doubts about what he had learned. He realized that knowledge and certainty could not be gained from books alone because some wrote not to find truth but to make ideas plausible and to Descartes anything that was tantamount to plausible was the same as false. (Descartes 2006, 10) What was important to Descartes for discerning true from false was not book smarts but more on life experience and exposure to different opinions. The method he uses to find certainty is something that uses discernment from one’s own reason to make it certain for the thinker. The very basis of the method is the fact that one must find certainty using his own reasoning, it...
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...Opposing Thoughts in a Coexisting World The foundation of life of this world, is coexisting with one another at the same time or in the same place in peace. In the story “Twelve Angry Men” written by Reginald Rose, he creates a theoretical question, if opposing ideas can coexist as well. Justice verses mercy and certainty versus doubt is the underlying conflict throughout the story displayed by each juror with their personal backgrounds either leading to condemning or saving a teen’s life. After act one, we see the struggle between each juror going from certainty and pushing for justice only to be later filled with doubt and demanding mercy. These opposing ideas disrupt the vary balance of peace leading for any coexisting out the door. The Idea of justice versus mercy is constantly questioned and played out by juror number eight and juror number three. The struggle for justice by juror number three using laws to fairly judge and punish the teen for his father’s murder is contradicted by juror number eight as he seeks for merciful truth. In act one, juror number three says, “I never saw a guiltier man in my life. You sat right in court and heard the same thing I did. The man’s a dangerous killer…”(Rose 3) followed by juror number eight explaining his not guilty vote saying, “… this boy’s been kicked around all his life. You know, living in a slum, his mother dead since he was nine … I think maybe we owe him a few words, that’s all” (3). Juror number three is an extremely opinionated...
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...independent of our perception and 2) that we can actually obtain knowledge about their existence. In this paper, I will criticize this claim by showing that, even if there exist an external world regardless of our perceptions, we can never “know” if they are actually part of our reality by just thinking about it. As a basis for discussion, I will classify the concept of understanding into three levels: believing, knowing, and having certainty about something. To believe is to accept an idea in our mind that could be innate, adventitious and self-produced. To know is to make judgement on what we believe based on experience, while to have certainty is to know without a doubt that an idea or knowledge is a definite truth. At the end of his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes comes up with a conclusion that an external world does indeed exist regardless of his perception. He begins his meditations by doubting everything he sense and experience, supposing that everything he knows about the external world is just a dream. In this state of absolute doubt, he withdraws the mind from the sense and tries to perceive the nature of reality through a purely intellectual perspective. The first thing Descartes realizes he can be certain of is his own existence for he would have to exist to be able to think and have ideas about many things (p. 64). In finding reality about the existence of an external world, Descartes considers the only four possible source of his ideas of external world:...
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...discussed by Socrates and Glaucon (Plato, n.d.). Finally, in Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt, René Descartes attempts to eliminate all beliefs that might be based on something uncertain. He proposes that a demon may be providing an illusion and his senses may not reflect reality (Descartes, 1641). With all of this investigation around human senses being deceived, is it possible for people to trust their senses? The Matrix and The Allegory of the Cave both deal with how men react to reality when illusion and reality are recognized for what they are. However, they each deal with this recognition in different ways. In The Matrix, reality is far less pleasant than the illusion. Some prefer the truth rather than to be deceived, and one in particular prefers the illusion claiming “ignorance is bliss” (Wachowski, 1999). In The Allegory of the Cave, the hypothetical subjects when confronted with reality find it to be less real than the deceptive shadows that they have always thought was reality. Over time, they learn that the deceptive shadows were and are only reflections of reality and accept and are happy with the reality they have found (Plato, n.d.). However, in this hypothetical situation the reality is more pleasant than the illusion. In Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt, Descartes is searching for an inordinately high degree of certainty in his beliefs. Therefore, he is trying to eliminate his beliefs that rely on his...
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...the accomplishments during this “scientific revolution” were in astronomy and mechanics, very important advances along the whole borders of knowledge were also taking place. The revival of skepticism, brought about by these new concepts, had many philosophers seeking answers to questions such as: Do we know anything at all, and do the sciences give us knowledge of reality? Rene Descartes, whom many consider to be the father of modern philosophy, sought to kill skepticism for good. He gave his Cartesian quest for certainty the center stage in his epistemology, or theory of knowledge. Following Descartes, later in the 18th century, David Hume also broke away from the religious dogma of the day to explain knowledge on a non theological basis. However, His epistemology dismisses Cartesian methods as both unworkable and barren. Instead, he adopts his own theories which counters the ideas of his of predecessor, and casts a different view on the levels of certainty humans can The Content and Objects of Knowledge--Rene Descartes According to Descartes, we each contain within ourselves the criterion for truth and knowledge. Although he does not reject the idea of God as a creator, he believed that the responsibility of obtaining knowledge rests on the individual and no longer on medieval ideals such as priest, popes, or kings. Descartes believed that in order to obtain knowledge, there must be a rational method for reaching the truth, and the use of the senses, or any...
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