Q&A: Realism and Doubt
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Realism and Doubt
Question
With God's help,
Hello,
As far as I know, the Rabbi is a realist, but on the other hand he also likes to cast doubt on many things—a starting point that usually characterizes empiricists דווקא. Don't you see some contradiction in that? If so, how does the Rabbi think it is correct to cast doubt, and when?
Answer
Realism is not the opposite of empiricism.
Empiricists do not cast more doubt than others. They cast doubt on what is not perceived by the senses. For some reason, on what is perceived they do not cast doubt.
As for the general question of what it is appropriate to doubt, I won't answer. If you want to discuss it, you'll have to put a bit of thought into formulating and sharpening the question.