contradiction =P can't be that certain of being completely uncertain, otherwise you actually ARE certain about something, which would invalidate your entire premise.
Certainty
- Thread starter Trifoilum
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contradiction =P can't be that certain of being completely uncertain, otherwise you actually ARE certain about something, which would invalidate your entire premise.
The Uncertainty Princple in physics at least guarantees uncertainty at some level, indeed one of the most fundamental of all levels. Of course, I am not certain that will always be the case.
Has anyone looked up the Bose-Einstein condensate? Pretty much anything at supercooled temperatures will blow your mind, but the Bose Einstein condensate will challenge your concept of traditional matter.
Has anyone looked up the Bose-Einstein condensate? Pretty much anything at supercooled temperatures will blow your mind, but the Bose Einstein condensate will challenge your concept of traditional matter.
It only seemed to expand my concept of matter - much as a grasp of the degree of uncertainty in anything (including my own concepts) does not diminish them, but expands our definite understanding of them.
Infinite uncertainty is impossible, because it would contradict the very notion of the possible existence of any uncertainty as uncertain. This is because uncertainty is not a statement of something, but rather a negation. However, certainty is a positive assertion of some reality - and certainty about certainty does not negate certainty.
It is possible - as there is nothing contradictory or fundamentally impossible about it. However, it would require infinite knowledge and an infinite intellect. In other words, infinitely certain certainty is not impossible for God.
This isn't about God, it is about personal ideas. Although if the OP wants to include God into our circle of discussion then it may be viable to explain.
Infinite certainty is only possible if one is delusional, and in that case it is only a delusion.
IMO, between two states, infinite certainty is far more...... hmmmm...conceivable? valid? valid, I'd say; compared to infinite uncertainty, for reasons Flavus Aquila had said. Yet I also agreed with NAI; there's too little perfect certainty.
For infinite uncertainty, I think it'd be such case of a 'I'm 99.999999999999999999999.............999999 uncertain'; I think. Is that certainty or not? Or just an imperfect (un)certainty?
That being said, I am.....speechless whether if God should be included or not, due to the nature of God Him/Her/Themselves (and lots of possibilities to stray). I guess it's okay, but do remember that it's less about the nature of the universe, more about what we do about it.
For infinite uncertainty, I think it'd be such case of a 'I'm 99.999999999999999999999.............999999 uncertain'; I think. Is that certainty or not? Or just an imperfect (un)certainty?
That being said, I am.....speechless whether if God should be included or not, due to the nature of God Him/Her/Themselves (and lots of possibilities to stray). I guess it's okay, but do remember that it's less about the nature of the universe, more about what we do about it.
In a qualified sense infinite certainty is possible about a finite thing. For instance, someone might have absolute certainty with no room for doubt whatsoever that something exists. They may have many uncertainties about their perception of what things exist and how and why. But they may have unshakable certainty that something exists, with complete certainty about this perception. I think this would qualify for infinite certainty about a finite thing. However, humanly speaking, it is impossible to be completely certain about everything.
Conversely, infinite uncertainty does not seem possible - about a finite thing - because one cannot be both completely uncertain that a thing exists and completely uncertain as to whether one's perception is mistaken, as this is contradictory.
I get what you are saying, but infinite doesn't really match what I was implying, which is being certain about an infinite amount of things, not certain on a singular topic with infinite being a metric of measurement. Infinite is already implicit in that sense of the definition of certainty.
Our intellects are certainly not capable of being certain about an infinite number of things on the count that we are not capable of knowing an infinte number of things.
Nor do I think it is possible for us to be certain about every thing we happen to know.... or think we know.
There is a corollary to this: some great minds/scientists/philosophers/inventors have a great deal more of accurate certainty about their knowledge. Moreover, if they know their field, they will know that their knowledge is certain. However, it is also generally agreed by philosophers that part of wisdom is knowing how little one knows.
If great minds enjoy greater true (not false) certainty about their knowledge; and are also aware that this is but a trifle compared to reality - how little, foolish and proud are most of us about our knowledge. Lacking wisdom, we don't even know how little we know.
For some reason, that thought has always worried me. - about me.
We make due with what knowledge we have, be it universally true nor only empirically, we have to start somewhere. It is important to understand that comprehension is limited, and some always have that shed of uncertainty as to whether something 'certain' is truly certain, that is how breakthroughs occur.