The Philosophical Virtue of Certitude Shifting
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The Philosophical Virtue of Certitude Shifting
Ideally, when two or more people argue or discuss some topic there should be a dance of certitude occurring. In an argument the certitude of one should grow as the certitude of their opponent diminishes, like the ebb and flow of waves as they roll across the sea. In a collaborative discussion the certitude of each collaborator should ebb and flow together as they traverse various common quandaries and solutions. This ideal process will occur most readily when interlocutors are equals, possessing similar philosophical competency.
It is reasonable to hold differing levels of certitude because the certitude of a conclusion ought to correspond to the evidence in favor of that conclusion, and not all conclusions are supported by the same level of evidence. This is especially true when we consider the fact that knowledge specialization occurs among humans. For example, the structural engineer’s knowledge of the structural integrity of bridges will be more certain than the common person’s, and less certain than the engineer’s non-specialized knowledge, such as his confidence in the security of his banking website.
When someone fails to hold differing levels of certitude and speaks apodictically at all times, their peers will tend to ignore them. This is because they are behaving in an irrational and socially ungraceful manner, and are not helpful to those who are seeking truth.
Finally, throughout our lives and especially during philosophical discussions our levels of certitude ought to shift! If we are listening and thinking then our conclusions and the certitude which attaches to those conclusions will shift as we encounter new evidence and arguments. This ability to aptly “downshift” or “upshift” our epistemological transmission is a philosophical virtue! It requires honesty, humility, courage, and a commitment to the truth.
The commonly opposed vice is intransigence and unchanging apodicticity, and this vice results from a covetousness or pride with respect to our own opinions. That is, the vice of intransigence occurs when we are so fond of our own opinions that we become unable to change them, even in the light of new evidence or better arguments. This is a subtle vice that occurs not only among the rash and uninitiated, but also among those who attain a high degree of proficiency and certitude in one specialized area, but then mistakenly transfer that certitude to other areas where it is in no way warranted.
I find that many people become trapped in this intransigence, whether out of habit, boredom, cynicism, pride, or a lack of access to different ideas and outlooks. There are various ways to nourish the virtue, some of which include: reading books written a long time ago, reading outside of your own tradition, taking a break from philosophical discussion so that you can return with fresh ears, considering a difficult philosophical problem or controversy, or reading a giant from your own tradition to remind yourself that you are still a beginner who is ignorant of a great many things.
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Re: The Philosophical Virtue of Certitude Shifting
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Re: The Philosophical Virtue of Certitude Shifting
Beautiful!Alan Masterman wrote: ↑January 28th, 2023, 10:35 am A hieroglyphic inscription on the tomb of Akhenaton reads: "The wise man doubts often, and his opinions can change; the fool is constant in his opinions, and doubts nothing, because he knows everything, except his own ignorance".
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