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]]