Doubt 306291 223332474 2008-07-03T16:41:36Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{Otheruses4|the mental state}} {{Refimprove|date=September 2007}} {{Original research|date=September 2007}} '''Doubt''', a status between [[belief]] and [[wikt:disbelief|disbelief]], involves [[uncertainty]] or [[distrust]] or lack of sureness of a fact, an action, a motive, or a decision. Doubt brings into question some notion of a perceived "[[reality]]", and may involve delaying relevant action out of concerns for mistakes or faults. The term "to doubt" can also mean "to [[question]] one's circumstances and [[personal life| life]]-[[experience]]"{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. == Impact on society == Doubt sometimes tends to call on [[reason]]. It may encourage people to [[procrastination|hesitate]] before acting, and/or to apply more [[rigour|rigorous]] methods. Doubt may have particular importance as leading towards disbelief. [[Politics]], [[ethics]] and [[law]], faced with important decisions that often determine the course of individual [[personal life| life]], place great importance on doubt, and often foster elaborate [[adversarial process]]es to carefully sort through all the evidence to come to a [[decision]]. One view regards the [[scientific method]], and to a degree all of [[science]], as entirely motivated by doubt: rather than accepting existing theories, scientists express systematic or [[Habit (psychology)| habitual]] doubt ([[skepticism]]) and devise [[experiment]]s to test (and, optimally, to disprove) any theory. Some commentators {{who?}} see [[technology]] as simply the expansion of the experiments to a wider user-base, which takes real [[risk]]s{{Fact|date=February 2008}} with it. Users may no longer doubt the applicability of the theory in play, but there remain doubts about how it interacts with the real world. The process of [[technology transfer| technology-transfer]] stages exploitation of science to ensure the minimization of doubt and danger. == Psychology == [[Psychoanalysts]]{{who?}} often{{weasel-inline}} attribute doubt, which they may interpret as a symptom of a [[phobia]] emanating from the [[ego]], to [[childhood]], when the ego develops. Childhood experiences, these traditions maintain, can plant doubt about one's abilities and even about one's very [[identity]]. The influence of parents and other influential figures often carries heavy connotations onto the resultant [[self-image]] of the child/[[Ego, super-ego, and id|ego]], with doubts often included in such self-portrayals.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} [[Cognitive]] mental as well as more [[spirituality|spiritual]] approaches abound in response to the wide variety of potential causes for doubt — sometimes seen as a "[[Bad Thing]]". [[Behavioral therapy]] — in which a person systematically asks his own [[mind]] if the doubt has any real basis — uses rational, [[Socratic method]]s. Behavioral therapists claim that any constant confirmation leads to emotional detachment from the original doubt.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} This method contrasts to those of say, the [[Buddhist]] faith, which involve a more [[esoteric]] approach to doubt and inaction. Buddhism sees all{{Fact|date=February 2008}} doubt as a negative attachment to one's perceived [[past]] and [[future]]. To let go of the personal [[history]] of one's life (affirming this release every day in [[meditation]]) plays a central role in releasing the doubts — developed in and attached to — that history. Through much spiritual exertion, one can (if desired) dispel doubt, and live "only in the present".{{Fact|date=February 2007}} === Psychopathology=== Many people{{who?}} associate "excessive" doubt with [[obsessive-compulsive disorder]], sometimes nicknamed a "disease of doubt".{{Fact|date=June 2008}} == Philosophy == Anything that is questionable or causes doubt, especially an argument or a claim. <!-- (The intended meaning of the previous sentence fragment is incomplete and possibly unclear.) --> Branches of philosophy like [[logic]] devote much effort to distinguish the dubious, the probable and the certain. Much of illogic rests on dubious assumptions, dubious data or dubious conclusions, with [[rhetoric]], [[whitewash (censorship)|whitewashing]], and [[deception]] playing their accustomed roles. === Religion === [[Image:Caravaggio - The Incredulity of Saint Thomas.jpg|thumb|350px|''[[Doubting Thomas|The Incredulity of Saint Thomas]]'' by [[Caravaggio]].]] Doubt that god(s) exist forms the basis of [[agnosticism]] — possibly definable as the belief that one cannot determine the existence of god(s) — and [[atheism]], which can entail either not believing in god(s) or believing that no god(s) exist(s). By extension, doubt as to the existence or intentions of the [[Christian God]] applies to doubt concerning the [[Christian Bible]] as well, bringing into question its alleged status as the [[religious text| word of God]], and propounding alternative explanations (such as a work of [[mythology]] like [[Homer]]'s ancient Greek epics the ''[[Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Odyssey]]''). Doubt of a religion itself brings into question the truth of its set of beliefs. [[Christianity| Christian]]s{{who?}} often debate doubt in the contexts of [[salvation]] and eventual redemption in an [[afterlife]]. This issue has become particularly important in the [[Protestant]] version of the Christian faith, which requires ''only'' acceptance of [[Jesus]] as [[saviour]] and intermediary with [[God]] for a [[soteriology| positive outcome]]. The debate appears less important in most other [[religion]]s and [[ethical tradition]]s. === Spirituality === In the context of [[spirituality]], individuals may{{Or|date=May 2008}} see doubt as the opposite of [[faith]]. If faith represents a compulsion to follow a path, doubt may block that particular path.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} People{{who?}} use doubts and faith every day to [[choice| choose]] the [[life path]] that they follow; for example: “I doubt that laziness will help me achieve my goals.” Doubt can serve to create individual [[illusion]]s to shield the [[vision]] of an unpleasant outcome. "I doubt anyone will catch me if I rob this store." Depending upon the energy put into the doubt, when used in this way, doubt itself has little impact on events and merely blocks the individual from seeing [[possibility| possibilities]]. == See also == {{wikiquote}} {{wiktionarypar|doubt|dubious}} {{commons|Category:Doubt|Doubt}} * [[Reasonable doubt]] * [[Doubting Thomas]] * [[Fear, uncertainty and doubt|FUD]] * [[list of ethics topics]] * [[Methodic doubt]] * [[question]] * [[satire]] may arouse doubts * [[skepticism]] * [[The realm of possibility]] == References == *Hein, David (Winter 2006). "Faith and Doubt in Rose Macaulay's ''[[The Towers of Trebizond]]''". ''Anglican Theological Review'' 88 (1): 47-68. ISSN 0003-3286. === Further reading === * ''[[Doubt: A History]]'', a 2003 book by [[Jennifer Michael Hecht]], traces the role of doubt throughout time, all over the world, particularly regarding religion. {{Emotion-footer}} [[Category:Epistemology]] [[Category:Skepticism]] [[ar:شك]] [[br:Mar]] [[ca:Dubte]] [[de:Zweifel]] [[es:Duda]] [[fr:Doute]] [[gl:Dúbida]] [[ko:의심]] [[is:Efi]] [[it:Dubbio]] [[nl:Twijfel]] [[pt:Dúvida]] [[sq:Dyshimi]] [[scn:Dubbiu]] [[simple:Doubt]] [[sv:Tvivel]] [[uk:Сумнів]]