Philosophy Stack Exchange
Philosophy Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [doubt]

7 questions
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Can it be rational to think you can't be wrong about something?

Descartes famously argued that we can technically be wrong about anything. We can even doubt that the world isn't actually real in some sense and is just a simulation. But why does doubt imply the possibility that you could be wrong? Isn't doubt…
thinkingman
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How can god exist outside of time if exist is a connotation of time`

Some guy would probably tell me that [] your small human mind can't comprehend it, but it can comprehend some things; it knows 1 + 1 has to be two, so its not like it knows nothing. For example, some arguments say that since everything must have a…
loopit
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Is persistent uncertainty irrational?

Doubt, uncertainty, and questioning things are considered hallmarks in philosophy. Not being certain in a belief is considered a virtue due to how often we are mistaken. But philosophy is also associated with finding out the truth about things.…
thinkingman
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Is doubt a cognitive state of belief, an emotional state, or both?

Is it possible to internally find no reason to doubt something yet still feel doubt? Is it possible to find plenty of reason to doubt something yet not feel any doubt? Bertrand Russell suggested that doubt "suggests a vacillation, an alternate…
thinkingman
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Is it better to feel or be certain even in things we can't really know?

It is considered rational to think that the sun will rise tomorrow even though we can't for sure know this. We assign this to be a high probability, but in reality, even a high probability would be based on assumptions that can't be proven.…
thinkingman
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Should your subjective sense of certainty in a claim be justified?

Or should the subjective state itself serve as justification in and of itself? What I mean by this is: suppose you come across a claim A and a claim B. Let’s also assume that both claims results in disastrous consequences for you if true. Finally,…
thinkingman
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How certain should you be of not dreaming when you’re awake?

Presumably, you’re reading this while you’re awake. How certain are you that you’re awake? And how much of a sliver of doubt should you have that you’re possibly dreaming? If we think in terms of credences (I do not personally approve of the idea of…
thinkingman
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