“We know with confidence only when we know little; with knowledge doubt increases” (adapted from JW von Goethe). An academic discussion of this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge in the context of Theory of knowledge.

“We know with confidence only when we know little; with knowledge doubt increases” (adapted from JW von Goethe).

At first glance, the title gives the impression that there is an inverse relationship between knowledge and confidence. It assumes that lack of knowledge equals high confidence, whereas an abundance of knowledge equals low confidence. To make sense of the title, we need to define the key terms used in it. ‘Knowledge’ may be defined as the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. Subsequently, we can define ‘confidence’ as the certainty of what is “known,” and doubt as uncertainty of what is “known.” However, this understanding is incomplete without some important considerations. We need to consider what it means to be confident about something in different Areas of Knowledge (AOKs). We also need to consider the relationship between confidence and doubt: Are they opposites or co-dependent? Can there be confidence where there is doubt? Furthermore, in the context of the prescribed title, (acquiring) knowledge will be assumed to be a…