Certainty Quote by Will Durant
““It is only charlatans who are certain. We know nothing of first principles. It is truly extravagant to define God, angels, and minds, and to know precisely why God formed the world, when we do not know why we move our arms at will. Doubt is not a very agreeable state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Limits of Certainty”, 1930
He argues that certainty about divine and metaphysical matters is absurd; doubt is more honest.
In simple terms: Certainty about God and cosmos is unreasonable; doubt is natural.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility in knowledge.
Themes
philosophy
skepticism
metaphysics
Mood
thought‑provoking
skeptical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- personal reflection
- public debate
- education
Key Concepts
epistemology
humility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance doubt and belief?
- What role does humility play in inquiry?
A Different Perspective
May be seen as dismissive of faith.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)