William Cowper Quotes

What can we say with certainty?

Everyone who observes himself doubting observes a truth, and about that which he observes he is certain; therefore he is certain about a truth. Everyone therefore who doubts whether truth exists has in himself a truth on which not to doubt.... Hence one who can doubt at all ought not to doubt the existence of truth.

Is there any knowledge in the world which is so certain that no reasonable man could doubt it?

Il n'est pas certain que tout soit incertain. (Translation: It is not certain that everything is uncertain.)

We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss.

Truth is something that we can attempt to doubt, and then perhaps, after much exertion, discover that part of the doubt is not justified.

... no bell in us tolls to let us know for certain when truth is in our grasp.

If you tried to doubt everything you would not get as far as doubting anything. The game of doubting itself presupposes certainty.

I secretly think reality exists so we can speculate about it.

I had therefore to remove knowledge, in order to make room for belief.

I think that reality exists and that it's knowable.

Belief and knowledge are considered to be two different things. But they are not.

A very great deal more truth can become known than can be proved.

There is only one thing about which I am certain, and that is that there is very little about which one can be certain.

Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know.

Doubt is not an agreeable condition, but certainty is an absurd one.

We cannot infer that because sciences of things divine and human are full of controversies and quarrels, therefore their whole subject-matter is uncertain ; for there have been many persons so enamoured of contradiction, as to turn into ridicule geometrical axioms.

We'd all like to be certain of what we know, but I think the most important question is to ask yourself do you really know what you know?

I say this all the time: All I know is I know nothing at all.

What difference, if you are mistaken? For if I am mistaken, I am. For he who is not, assuredly cannot be mistaken; and therefore I am, if I am mistaken. Therefore because I am if I am mistaken, how am I mistaken that I am, when it is sure that I am, if I am mistaken.

But is all this true?" said Brutha. Didactylos shrugged. "Could be. Could be. We are here and it is now. The way I see it is, after that, everything tends towards guesswork." "You mean you don't KNOW it's true?" said Brutha. "I THINK it might be," said Didactylos. "I could be wrong. Not being certain is what being a philosopher is all about.

What, then is truth?... Truths are illusions about which one has forgotten that this is what they are.

Except in pure mathematics, nothing is known for certain (although much is certainly false).

Realism is punishing. Probabilistic skepticism is worse.

Which country is real, mine or the teacher's? My wish is that we might progressively lose our confidence in what we think we believe and the things we consider stable and secure, in order to remind ourselves of the infinite number of things still waiting to be discovered.