Uncertain:
We know the things of the physical universe are all in a process of change. It is the process which we observe rather than the thing as it is.
What is the measure of transition we can detect before the state of some thing has changed? We actually do not have the ability to measure change that exactly. We can just point to the fact that transition does occur. But when the state of one thing in the Universe has changed, every other thing in the Universe has had a transition of state. It is for this reason that we remain uncertain about our observations at least to some degree. They are snapshots and like any kind of snapshot we can't be certain we've got the whole picture. It seems there is always more that can be known about any particular observation. For instance, everything in the Universe does have a relative effect on everything else, the majority of which can not be known by direct observation.
More certain:
When I say something is certain, I am bound to invite contention simply by the nature of the statement since things can be looked at from differing perspectives and because certainty may mean different things. You believe with certainty you love your daughters; someone else may doubt that. You believe goodness is charity and generosity; and you believe badness is corruption, greed, and cruelty but some other posters challenged you recently on that notion with respect to greed. So there is certainty about belief where confidence tampers with belief. You may feel certain about the general nature of the physical universe, while less confident about the forces and influences imbued within or acting upon the physical universe. The grounding upon which you believe you know the nature of the universe could be shaken, and your existentialists have underscored beingness with absurdity and groundlessness, making any pat statement somewhat shaky, which becomes a psychological dilemma.
Higher degree of certainty:
Metaphysical certainty involves more awareness and less computational proof. You could say for example, "I am aware, therefore I am, I am therefore my experience is, my experience is therefore the universe is, etc etc etc" and have no problem with the certainty of that statement. It is a credible statement resembling a scientific statement but unjustifiable in the laboratory. |
