Doubt: The Inevitability Of Certainty In Science Fiction

Does certainty actually provide security, or does it set one for failure? Does doubt cause negativity or does it prepare one for the future? The idea whether certainty or doubt causes the fulfillment of dreams, goals and the future as questioned many. Certainty creates security and assurances, but is anything certain? Nothing in the world is ever certain; one’s world can be flipped upside down in the matters of days, hours, minutes and even a split of a second. Unlike certainty, doubt allows one to know there is a chance that the odds are against one. William Lyon Phelps supports certainty as a factor for success, while Bertrand Russell favors doubt because it creates comfort and prepares one for reality. Using

Once the foundations of a building are undermined, anything built on them collapses of its own accord; so I will go straight for the basic principles on which all my former beliefs rested. Whatever I have up till now accepted as most true I have acquired either from the senses or through the senses. But from time to time I have found that the senses deceive, and it is prudent never to trust completely those who have deceived us even once. (384)

An American singer, Madonna, once stated, “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a b*, okay” This quote is about the ambition of people, they do not care what will affect their ambition to have what they want. In the play “The Tragedy of Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and his wife are an ambitious duo who use many evil methods towards the powerful king. The quote Madonna related to them is “If that makes me a bitch, okay” because Macbeth felt okay about being bad, which is murdering people at the end of the act, leading to the revenge of Macduff.

This change can also lead to self-confidence. By understanding the faults and uncertainties in oneself, one is able to gain something valuable. One is able to gain the satisfaction of truth, knowledge, and confidence. This is something that Descartes attempted to achieve. Yet, in his quest for self-righteousness he stopped right before he could have been freed from the bondages of materialistic goods, ego, and temptations.

While certainty can help an individual stick to a goal, it can also be a mask that covers creative thinking and new ideas that doubt can spring forward and bring to

Science is tentative and can be proven wrong or right if there is evidence to support

The only way one can be sure in their beliefs is to have personally observed and made conclusions based on this knowledge. This is something known well by every scientist of and provides the basis for scientific theory. Louis Pasteur, pioneer of the germ theory in the 1850’s, was certain in the face of an abundance of doubt. While the idea of tiny microscopic organisms causing disease may have seemed absurd to his peers, Pasteur had made his own experiments and observations that gave him the ability to be extremely certain about what is now an accepted fact; those who were doubtful did not have any sort of real evidence to counter Pasteur. He was able to persevere with his confidence and evidence, leading to major improvements in health. On the other hand, misplaced confidence in scientific theories has caused severe issues for many societies. Long before Pasteur’s ideas on germs, many medical issues were said to be caused by an imbalance of four “humors,” made-up chemicals that we now know are not real. The cure to this imbalance was a process called bloodletting, literally the draining of blood from the body. The people at the time were certain of this process. This certainty, instead of leading to better health as with the case with Pasture’s certainty, led to increased infections, complications, and death. It was

In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction, or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. The size of your faith or degree of your knowledge is not the issue – it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know. ”(Holland)

Certainity and doubt both play a role in one’s life decision making. Certainty focuses on absolution, allowing one to focus on their path and accomplish what they desire. Doubt, however, focuses changing one’s mindset, allowing anyone or themselves to change their mindset and stray away from their goal. Certainty can lead one to success while doubt can stray one away from their goal because certainty allows one to focus on their goal while doubt allows other people, or themselves, to stray one away from their goal.

Throughout history, scientists have been conducting experiments to disprove the ideas presented by these philosophers. Some of these ideas are still debated upon, even though they were disproven many years ago. For example, there are still many people who currently believe in the idea of spontaneous generation, even though scientists like Francesco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani, and Louis

However, in the status quo, science is constantly changing and evolving. It is important for one to remember that science is practiced by humans, that contain flaws and biases. Most experiments consist of measurements, which will always include error. It is also important to be aware that scientist will often have conformation bias, and begin and experiment looking for a certain result. Some people will give scientist authority, which is not inherently wrong due to the hours of hard work they have put into their education.

Despite the diverse times and settings between ransom and Invictus, we see the similarities bought through the theme of fatherhood, and the ideas and themes that surround a father figure. Both texts explore how leadership affects the bond between a father his child. Malouf uncovers the guilt and regrets priam feels after reflecting on the distant relationship he has with his children at the price of leadership, similarly Eastwood also demonstrates how a role of leader can impact on the closer relationships Mandela shares with his family. Both texts also explore the similarities between a leader and a father, and demonstrate how the role of a father is not just omitted directly to their children, but on a whole nation. Malouf and Eastwood also

Even though, people think there is. Overcoming these peculiar noises and baffling thoughts is key to becoming tranquil in grueling times. “Through the chamber doors are tight and think/I love the man who conquers quick.” (stanza 7). Prevailing in these circumstances is the solution to being not fazed by the uncertainty.

In the movie Doubt, the idea of certainty versus doubt is a central theme to the story. Doubt and certainty are

Science fiction is a fairly new genre compared to many other literature styles but is one of the most relevant and evolving literary classifications. It is a huge genre that encompasses many different types of stories such as dystopian, utopian, superheroes, and more. Science fiction is primarily used as a reflection of society as well as a forecast of what current society could become. Science fiction is argued to be a “Gedankenexperiment,” or thought experiment, because it conveys deeper meanings on where society is heading and forces the reader to challenge their views about the world. Science fiction uses a human centric theme that includes changing variables to create a thought experiment which