Doubt

:This article is about the mental state. For the 2004 John Patrick Shanley play, see Doubt (play).

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Doubt is uncertainty in the context of trust (where it takes the form of distrust), action, decision or faith. It implies challenging some notion of truth in effect, or hesitating to take action on it due to concern that one might be mistaken.

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According to some spiritual and ethical traditions, it is a form of fear. According to other traditions, it is wholly rational and causes us to hesitate before acting, and apply more rigorous methods.

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The scientific method, and to a degree all of science can be said to be entirely motivated by doubt: rather than accept the existing theories, experiments to test them continue. Technology can be seen as simply the expansion of the experiments to a wider user base, who take real risks with it. Users may no longer doubt the applicability of the theory in play, but there remain doubts about how it interacts with the real world. The process of technology transfer stages exploitation of science to ensure that doubt and danger are minimized.

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Doubt is the only human emotion which proves its own existence as "I doubt that (the concept of) doubt exists, therefore it exists".

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Doubt is very often debated in the context of Christianity where it refers to doubt about salvation and eventual redemption in an afterlife. This issue has become particularly important in the Protestant version of this faith, where only acceptance of Jesus as a saviour and intermediary with God is required for a positive outcome. The debate is less important in most other religions and ethical traditions.

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In politics, ethics and law, where very important decisions are made that often determine the course of someone's life, doubt is central, and often motivates an elaborate adversarial process to carefully sort through all the evidence to come to a decision.

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A 2003 book by Jennifer Michael Hecht, titled "Doubt: A History", traces the role of doubt throughout time, all over the world, particularly regarding religion.

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Doubt (play) is also the name of a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley.

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See also: FUD, skepticism, Doubting Thomas, list of ethics topics

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Uncertainty: Uncertainty is an inevitable part of the assertion of knowledge: see Bayesian probability....

Trust: In general, trust refers to an aspect of a relationship between two parties, by which a given situation is mutually understood, and commitments are made toward actions in favor of a desired outcome. In contrast with hope, trust is almost strictly interpersonal. In contrast with faith, trust is almos...

Distrust: Distrust is a formal way of not trusting any one party too much in a situation of grave risk or deep doubt. It is commonly expressed in civics as a division or balance of powers, or in politics as means of validating treaty terms. Systems based on distrust simply divide the responsibility so that ch...

Doubt related Images and Photos (experimental)

No Doubt	No Doubt Poster	No Doubt Rolling Stone no. 759 May 1997	No Doubt Rolling Stone no. 888 January 31 2002
Shadow of a Doubt DVD (Full Frame)	Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) (Remastered)	Shadow of a Doubt	The River of Doubt Theodore Roosevelts Darkest Journey (Paperback) Book
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Dana Andrews Joan Fontaine 1956	Often Wrong, Never In Doubt Unleash The Business Rebel Within (Book)	This Wayside Inn in the Balkans is Without Doubt the Most "Picturesque" Pub in Our Files	Teresa Wright Dressed for Role in Alfred Hitchcock Film Shadow of a Doubt