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Question Is there anything in this world that we can be 100% sure about?

Accepted:
November 7, 2005

Comments

I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

A complex question. Being sure can be read as a psychological state, a feeling of complete confidence. And of course we are, as a matter of fact, completely confident about a lot of things. At least I am. But the real question is whether we are entitled to that feeling. That raises the question of what kind of entitlement is relevant. Is it pragmatic entitlement? That is, does such confidence yield good outcomes? It seems to. Or would it require proof beyond the possibility of refutation? The latter raises hard questions about what proof is and about what refutation is. What would a starting point for a proof be? How would you justify the form of argument you use? But how would you decide what to take seriously as a refutation?

You can see that this is not a simple matter. I suggest that you read Sextus Empiricus, OUTLINES OF PYRRHONISM and then later, Wittgenstein's ON CERTAINTY to get a feel for how much fun and how hard it is to think these questions through.

Question Is there anything in this world that we can be 100% sure about? Accepted:November 7, 2005

Question Is there anything in this world that we can be 100% sure about?

Accepted:
November 7, 2005