I often get questions in emails about my blog or books. I have been replying to these on email but decided I might also start posting answers as part of a series “ask a philosopher.” Who wouldn’t want to ask a philosopher something?
Question: Dr Anderson, doesn’t humility require philosophical skepticism? It seems prideful to say something is certain.
Reply: Of course, it depends on what one means by “certain” and “humble.” There is psychological certainty and objective certainty. Psychological certainty means that a person is absolutely sure of something but may not have sufficient proof. Such instances are examples are failing to critically examine one’s assumptions, or failing to think presuppositionally. Perhaps a lack of humility is a part of this but I focus on the neglect of the examined life as the problem.
On the other hand there is objective certainty. Some things are certain and we should know these things. To deny that anything is certain seems to be the instance of pride. It is a refusal to assent to reason as the laws of thought and instead places one’s own subjective desires and inability to understand as the standard. Humility puts the self under reason as the laws of thought, rather than in pride rejecting the laws of thought when we don’t like where they lead. Humility also requires integrity which means we live consistently with what we claim to believe. In the case of those who deny that anything is certain integrity requires living consistently with this claim. This includes that we can’t even be certain we are thinking or saying anything.
It seems to be that the philosophical skeptic is fueled by instances of superficial psychological certainty and is right to call these out. But by making this a matter of pride vs humility (as opposed to the use of reason to think critically) the philosophical skeptic might fall into this as well by overstating the case. It becomes a matter of pride to refuse to acknowledge that some things are certain. Perhaps this is because in acknowledging this we must acknowledge having come short in not seeing what is clear and our pride fights against this. It is the humble, or the meek, who are willing to accept this and change their thinking.