Methodological Doubt

Methodological doubt is a systematic approach used primarily in philosophy and science to question the reliability of knowledge. Influenced by skepticism, it involves doubting everything that can be questioned to identify beliefs that are absolutely certain. René Descartes famously employed this method, concluding that while we can doubt our senses and the existence of the external world, the act of doubting itself confirms our existence. Methodological doubt serves as a tool for critically examining assumptions, paving the way for a firmer foundation of knowledge based on what can be known with certainty.