Experience of Self-Knowledge Through the Definitions "Doubt" and "Skepticism": Philosophical Analysis

Abstract

Relevance. One of the social properties that set relationships between individuals is trust. There is need to have “personal knowledge” (M. Polanyi) for an individual regulating human relationships through evaluation, assessment. Personal knowledge is basing on doubt and skeptical relationship to this kind of knowledge that is important factor defined social trustful relationships.The purpose of the study is philosophical analysis of the definitions "doubt" and "skepticism" in the epistemological study for developing trust to own experience.Objectives include the following: define meaningful context of "trust" category in personal knowledge through definitions "doubt" and "skepticism"; explain relationship of the definitions "doubt" and "skepticism" and trust on the philosophical level; examine the epistemological properties – doubt and skepticism – as characteristics to trust appearance.Methodology. In the process of study we used different approaches: for explanation the content of the definitions "doubt", "skepticism", "trust" we used socio-philosophical epistemological principles; for applying these definitions to individual we used phenomenological approach; elements of hermeneutic approach could provide analysis of the definitions and show their relationships.Results. In the study we tried to define differences and connection between definitions "doubt", "skepticism", and their impact on individual trust to own knowledge and epistemological process. Trust has practical function in social relationship between individuals: when individual finds out uncertainty, distractors then he can place a position and do a certain social act (in the article we used the definition "intellectual audacity" that can be appeared in two categories – doubt and skepticism).Conclusions. One form of the individual attitude to the world is rationalism and irrationalism appearing in social action, through, for instance, in trust. Trust is a way of epistemology on the world. Relationships between three definitions – trust, doubt, skepticism – in the end, give a certain problem in discovering truth, but through these definitions individual can keep a social rhizome (individuality, certain position). "Doubt" and "skepticism" define epistemology and have selective properties that are like intellectual inoculations defining a level of trust to themselves and their knowledge. Tension between three definitions orientate individual for a straight line of behavior – self-criticism of knowledge that can be an main point to build "personal knowledge" of individual and his attitude to society.