Doubt

John Patrick Shanley’s literary work Doubt: A Parable, is a gripping drama founded on moral certainty and doubt. The story revolves around three main characters in the Catholic school of St. Nicholas. Sister Aloysius, a nun and the principal of the school, is certain that Father Flynn is sexually abusing Donald Muller. Donald is the first and only black student to attend St. Nicholas, which makes him an easy target for a child predator. The main question presented in the story is whether Father…

The film Merchants of Doubt is a documentary from 2014 directed by Robert Kenner. It brings into light how industries that pollute and that would benefit from climate deniers hire so called experts to appear independently from their company and speak about climate change, toxins, and other controversial matters. This is not a film about climate change and how it is going to affect us, it isn’t a film on why smoking is bad or why chemicals like DDT should be banned; it is simply about the…

reading. As a young African-American male student, this book related to me in every way imaginable. Granted, some of these hardships are unfamiliar with me, I still feel a sense to tension and sadness as I read about my people. This book without a doubt offers an amazing comprehension of the American history and how it influences the present especially its commitment to the racial emergency. Coates supports cognizance in tending to racial separation in America by proposing logic and duty as…

“Self doubt” is something like myself and others, have experience in our life. In my early childhood, I remember I love to make art, to this day I still do. I had what a little kid had to make little art pieces; markers, watercolor, crayons, color pencils, and a lot of cheap dollar store office supplies. I had a big imagination as a child and I drew what I thought were my pride and joy, and at that age I knew I couldn’t do art for my future and I thought drawing won’t make a huge impact in my…

Doubt and confidence are key sources of intellectual understanding and development. Doubt creates curiosity, which drives experts to understand more and research with greater depth, while confidence provides certainty of truth. But doubt also results in uncertainty and lack of confidence, which is disadvantageous in the production of knowledge. Is confidence even valuable in the production of knowledge? How confident can we be in knowledge? Does increased knowledge imply increased ignorance? Is…

Releasing the Doubt Strolling through downtown Summit, New Jersey on a Sunday afternoon, passing by the town diner and train station, through the village green and promenade with my dad by my side, I had an epiphany. It finally hit me as bubbly residents greeted my father and I with numerous ‘thank yous’ for the party the night before. I felt like I was walking with a celebrity; everyone knew him. For the first time, I was not embarrassed that he was walking barefoot alongside our fellow…

Pi suggest that "doubt is useful for a while" (36). Agnostics show uncertainty of belief but at some point they must take a "leap of faith" and believe or not. The idea that a feeling of uncertain about a fact is helpful for a while shows that our feelings of doubt are only temporary. Two weeks ago my parents told me that my twenty five year old cousin Mikey had passed away the night before. Doubt filled me. Throughout the next few days my whole family resorted to doubt. Although we could…

Theodicy and Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero Every day certain circumstances cause people throughout the world to face undeniable questions about God and his abilities. Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero takes viewers through the stories and theodicies of multiple people affected by the horrendous tragedy of 9/11, questioning God’s role in the evil that took place on that sorrowful day and the impact it made on their futures. In the film Kirk Varnedoe, Tim Lynston, and Dasha Rittenberg provide their…

Certainty vs. Doubt Certainty and doubt are two coexisting entities that rely on each other to exist. To achieve certainty you must first acknowledge your doubts and overcome them. With this system of thought, people have become more certain in their beliefs by testing their doubts with scientific theories, historical essays, and even in everyday life. Within the areas of scientific research and experimentation, it is necessary to understand your doubts about a topic so then you can use that to…

Why did I choose this TOK question? Personally, “Doubt is the key to knowledge” is a very thought-provoking Persian Proverb. We usually associate knowledge with certainty and belief, which we hold them dearly throughout our whole life. The knowledge could be related to religion, science or even arts. However, is knowledge always true and certain? Could there be error in the knowledge that we know of? I would be exploring how doubt plays imperative role in the field of science to gain the most…