Knowledge or Certainty - There is no absolute knowledge

[MyWordizBond]

both feet in the shit to give HIMSELF the example... this is a complete ignorant soul to me... mode of passion..

[Karestasse]

Yes, he is not proposing that we cannot have certainty. But that that certainty has to come from rational methods and empirical evidence. As he says "absolute knowledge, with no test in reality". When he refers to "the knowledge of Gods", he is referring to dogmatism, such as that of religion. "a tribute to what we can know, although we are fallible". This is not a message against science, reason or truth, or certainty. It is a message against dogmatism.

[Zeykieee]

You can fathom the true sentiments of him.

[AfTrolle]

Certainly there is absolute knowledge. For example, my dick is enormous, and there are no two ways about that.

Not to mention the reality of God, which of course is absolute to the point where it lies beyond human comprehension.

[FudgeY1337]

on the other hand, his video on pythagarus thorem (<spelling?) is very intelligent.

[FudgeY1337]

this IS what men do, this IS what we have to do. etc. seems to me this guy has some absolute knowledge of himself. so really, he seems to hold the idea of 'no certainities', but doesn't posses it...... IT SEEMS.

[solnegrolunaroja]

This man is dear to me as he was my grandfather although never met him personally. I had the fortune to see this in the public tv of my country when I was 6 years old in 1977. He is an important part of my education. He would be very sad to see how deaf people are to this words. This is not a message about logic or blind science. Consequences. This is about people dying. Any logical debate becomes corrupt and futile when people dies.

[wealthycardiac]

"There are NO absolutes" is not an absolute statement for the same reasons that "There are NO leprechauns", is not a "leprechauns" statement.

[DubleDeuce]

... cultural influences, all of our other problems would be solved. The society in which this idea flourished had NO internal mechanism or counterpart (they were either ON the train or en route to the final solution) to test this hypothesis, hence the idea was deemed correct. You NEED to see the whole series (13 parts) to understand the context.

Darrow...for the Prosecution

[DubleDeuce]

This is a great piece of work by a truly thinking man. The sadness of the bulk of the responses on this site is that they are made without context. The "Absolute Knowledge" that Brownowski was speaking of here was based on the Holocaust of WWII by the NAZI's. It was the absolute certainty of the Third Reich that the "solution" to their problem (bad previous acts, poor planning, and arrogance of a race) was the systematic elimination of a whole culture of people. If ONLY we could get rid of THAT

[turbozed]

This is probably the most important documentary episode ever made. Watch the whole episode!

Also, it's pretty sad to see dimwits on this comment thread playing games with words like children instead of focusing on the essential and important message. GTFO

[grupokorova]

For gods sake! The mans not saying that we cant have certainties or that we cant know anything for sure: if you drop a glass you know it will fall down and not up. The man is saying that we must find our certainties through an objective and rational method, and that this method will never be able to comprehend all things as a whole, not things. We can know things for sure; he is talking about everything as one single entity. About absolute truths, thats the search we must abandon

[Twiggy269]

Person A "That was absolutely hilarious"

Person B "There are no absolutes silly"

Person A "Are you absolutely sure?"

haha.

[rigoletto92111]

Δx Δp = h / 2

[intricatic]

The band Guggenheim Grotto, in their song Philosophia, said "But if it's all a thing of taste then everything unwinds, for without an absolute how can the absolute define?"

Well, science is meant to be rational; either inductive or deductive, but with a degree of certainty or with absolute certainty based on the validity of the argument put forward. Yet, there is no solid ground in science because it comes from man. The need for an absolute is universal to man, which is why science exists.

[happyjihad]

"There is no absolute knowledge" is an absolute statement. Saying there is no absolute knowledge is intrinsically self-defeating. :p

[raythetse]

By your logic we should all just stop talking at all because nothing we say could ever be true

[happyjihad]

You said: "nothing we say could ever be true".

This statement is paradoxical. Should I believe you or not?

[raythetse]

I was saying that "nothing we say could ever be true" conformed to your reasoning. So thank you for further pointing our your own flaw

[ApeOfGod1]

A powerful message.

[whitewarr]

A stupid message that contradicts itself!!! lol

[Twackius]

Fucking spammer.

[ColAbernathy]

"A stupid message that contradicts itself!!! lol"

Umm....how, exactly? I'm missing your point because you insist on being so damn VAGUE.

[PuppyHate]

If nothing can ever be known for sure (which is the message) then how can we know that nothing can ever be known for sure?

[Twackius]

We can't simple as that. It's a catch 22.

[ColAbernathy]

"then how can we know that nothing can ever be known for sure?"

Error bars help. Reason, logic, empirical evidence as well. 'Course the sun MAY NOT rise tomorrow, but there's no reason to suggest it won't.

[yidaki53]

The message in this particular clip is that "everything" can never be known for sure. In that everything is all that we know, so all that we know is uncertain.

On the other hand, nothing can be known :)

[Dreamerx47]

thats the fucking point...we cant

[whitewarr]

thats exactly my point. ITS A CONTRADICTION.

[ColAbernathy]

"thats exactly my point. ITS A CONTRADICTION."

My apologies for my "vague" comment, I'd forgotten this little discussion. So, it's a contradiction, that STILL doesn't prove we can say with ABSOLUTE certainty that there is or is not any supernatural being watching over us. Why is absolute certainty even necessary?

[ColAbernathy]

"thats exactly my point. ITS A CONTRADICTION."

My apologies for my "vague" comment, I'd forgotten this little discussion. So, it's a contradiction, that STILL doesn't prove we can say with ABSOLUTE certainty that there is or is not any supernatural being watching over us. Why is absolute certainty even necessary?

[whitewarr]

dragons aren't real. And it has been proven dragons aren't real. But there are facts like about math, some on science, etc. Thats my point.

[ColAbernathy]

So you're ABSOLUTELY sure that there isn't a dragon in my garage? He's invisible, you know...as well as insubstantial. My point? We can only be reasonably sure of the nonexistence of any entity without any evidence. So, it is reasonable to assume that there is not a dragon in my garage since i cannot provide any evidence to show that there IS. What is the difference between that which exists but cannot be corroborated, and that which doesn't exists. There are no absolutes...except that one ;)

[whitewarr]

how do we know that absolute is true.

btw, its like saying "Grass doesn't grow with the exception that grass does not grow."

[ColAbernathy]

No, it's like saying "There's absolutely no such thing as polka-dot grass."

[whitewarr]

answer my question "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ABSOLUTE (THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES) IS TRUE?"

[ColAbernathy]

I don't...well, not ABSOLUTELY...anyway. ;)

[ColAbernathy]

You, uh...forgot your waders there, Jacob. ;)

[whitewarr]

huh?

[ColAbernathy]

Joke, man. He walks into the water with just his shoes, ergo...he forgot his waders. You know, wading fishing boots?

[whitewarr]

How do you know?

[ColAbernathy]

"How do you know?"

How do you know there ISN'T a dragon in my garage?

[whitewarr]

saying that there are no absolutes is a controdiction. when someone says that there are no absolutes, they themselves are stating an "absolute."

[Siriaan]

"there are fewer absolutes than you think."

happy?

[pennilesscripple]

thanks for posting this. it makes me think of keats, who said the mark of a man of achievement is the ability to be 'capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts without any irritable reaching after fact & reason.'

[HotChick69000000]

Thanks so much for providing this. Those were powerful words that will stick with me.