Is there a name for a 100% Certainty fallacy?
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Original Question
This is an argument I mostly hear in theological or supernatural discussions, but it can really apply to anything. It goes like this: "We can't be 100% certain of anything, so my belief is just as valid as yours!"
Essentially it's using the problem of hard solipsism (e.g. "How do we know we're not all in the Matrix?") to argue that all conclusions are valid in the absence of absolute certainty. Using this reasoning could result in any number of fallacious statements, I was just wondering if there's a term for this specific argument.
Answers
4In addition to the other comments, there is the burden of proof and concept of certainty.
I think it is essential to note that we can never be absolutely certain of anything other than metaphysical axioms, so we must assign a value to any proposition based upon the available evidence. To dismiss a proposition on the basis it hasn’t been proven beyond all possible doubt is fallacious reasoning if one seeks knowledge. We can, however, attain an epistemological certainty, which, loosely restated, means beyond a reasonable doubt, while keeping our minds open to additional evidence or a different interpretation of available evidence
Two options come to mind:
Appeal to Possibility
Argumentum ad Ignorantium
depending how it develops there could be more
I'll also throw in the least plausible hypothesis . People ignorant to reason will often not understand the difference between probability, plausibility, and possibility, and conflate lack of certainty with lack of probabilistic confidence. BTW, "We can't be 100% certain of anything, so my belief is just as valid as yours!" would be a non sequitur as it is written without any assumptions.
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