- "We are rarely completely certain, but we are frequently certain enough." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Key Terms
Rarely completely certain
AOKs
certain
Natural Sciences
TEMPORARY: Rutherford model worked for certain applications even before being replaced by the Bohr model
Frequently certain enough
having no doubt or knowing exactly that something is true, or known to be true, correct, exact, or effective
able to be firmly relied on to happen or be the case
Religion
Religions aim to provide certainty to believers
Quotes
"I know that I know nothing."
Potential Discussion Points
Contrast between approaches of Religious Knowledge Systems and the Scientific Method - how they have clashed / interacted over the years.
History
Historical records => Truth / Reliability
We know that a Greek guy name Thucydides who wrote a book / history - considered to be the 'first serious historian' in the West
Ancient records are lost
Decay VS Preservation
Lacking written records
Are we certain "enough"?
What do we need to be certain for?
What does it mean by "enough"?
Human Sciences
Health (Medical) Knowledge - How certain must we be before carrying out a dangerous operation?
Can we carry out an operation to remove a brain tumor that we are not sure is cancerous?
Being certain enough to be relied on / applied / used?
Certainty VS Risk
When can we be certain enough to justify the risk?
"’Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes" - The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock
WOKs
Mathematics
Enough to apply?
Enough to claim that I "know"?
"Pure" VS "Applied" Science
Sense Perception
Intuition
Reason
Faith
COVID-19
PROOFS
AXIOMS
PARADOXES
Requirements for Certainty:
A set of rules of proof with which to derive truths
A guarantee that the rules of proof are adequate to establish all truths (completeness)
A set of true axioms or postulates as the foundation for reasoning
A guarantee that the rules of proof are safe in warranting only truths (consistency)
Relative certainty