Skepticism is true

The Truth of Skepticism

Skepticism, in the context of this paper, is defined as the proposition that there is an inherent inability to absolutely and perfectly have knowledge of the truth of a particular object, hence there is no proof a truth exists for any object. An argument that skepticism is true sets out to establish the subjectivity and imperfection in the gathering and analysis of empirical data about an object. What skepticism is not is the denial that absolute truths exist about any object. Rather, skepticism is the denial of the assertion that it can be proven that absolute truths exist about any object . Hence, the goal of defending skepticism is to illustrate the quantitative and qualitative accuracy limitations inherent in empirical observations as well as the perceptive distortions in such observations. More succinctly we'll be showing that:

(1) We learn of an object through empirical observations.

(2) Empirical observations are inherently inaccurate and subjective.

(3) We can never learn an object with perfect and objective accuracy and, hence, truly know the truth of an object.

For definition, let quantitative analysis be the measurement of an object: its height, its mass, its volume, etc. Quantitative analysis is a tool for gaining empirical evidence about an object to gain knowledge of it; that is, to know a truth about that object. However, quantitative measurements are done with a degree of precision. Precision is the degree of closeness to a true value. Precision, and the limitations of precision, are so ingrained in scientific research that values are measured by 'significant digits'. For lack of tools capable of perfect measurement, researchers decide how much inaccuracy, or lack of the 'true' quantit...

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...ough their perceptible space.

One argument against the definition of skepticism presented here is that it cannot be known that there is no object which cannot be known perfectly. However, this line of argument falsely shifts the burden of proof to skepticism. This is antithetical to the argument of skepticism as skepticism's foundation is proven by a lack of proof. The antithesis of skepticism would state that something can be observed and known perfectly through empirical research. To counter skepticism, it is necessary to provide an example of an object known perfectly – qualitatively, quantitatively and free from subjectivity and perceptive distortion. As we can only prove the imperfections inherent in empirical observation, we can only observe that we lack the means to accurately learn the entire, exact truth of an object. Hence, skepticism is valid and true.