The doubt is the hesitation or indecision between two or more judgments or decisions; or the uncertainty experienced in the face of certain events and news. The word, as such, derives from the verb dudewhich in turn comes from Latin dubitārewhich means ‘to vacillate between two things’.
Doubt, in this sense, supposes the lack of certainty in thought or actions. Thus, doubt can affect a person’s decisions, confidence, and judgment. Doubt can even cause a wavering of mind regarding faith and religious beliefs.
Doubt, likewise, can be used as a tool to access or increase knowledge, whether scientific or philosophical. As such, doubt is an instrument of inquiry and questioning that starts from the acceptance of an initial state of ignorance for the methodical approach to what we question. In this sense, doubt is fundamental to determine the validity of knowledge.
See also: Hesitate.
Methodical doubt
As methodical doubt is called the intellectual procedure conceived by the French philosopher Rene Descartes according to which all beliefs or knowledge about which any doubt may arise must be rejected and questioned. As such, the cartesian method It is a radical foundation of knowledge, since it consists of doubting everything that exists to find absolutely certain truths, on which it is possible to base knowledge.
Reasonable doubt
A reasonable doubtin Criminal lawsupposes the absolution from criminal responsibility accused of a crime because there is no complete proof of his guilt. It is what is also called the benefit of the doubt. Reasonable doubt is based on the principle of the presumption of innocence to which all people are entitled. So for Criminal Law a person can only be declared guilty when it can be proven, beyond all reasonable doubt, that he was the one who, in fact, committed the crime.