怀疑论 (huái yí lún) — skepticism (philosophical doctrine questioning the possibility of certain knowledge)

Definition

The philosophical doctrine of doubting whether certain knowledge is possible — a stance, not a personal habit. Distinct from 怀疑 (verb: to doubt / suspect something specific) and from 不可知论 (agnosticism, the view that ultimate reality is unknowable).

noun
skepticism (philosophical doctrine questioning the possibility of certain knowledge)

Examples

  • 怀疑论。
    huái yí lún Shì yì zhǒng duì zhī shi kě néng xìng chí huái yí tài dù de zhé xué lì chǎng.
    Skepticism is a philosophical stance that doubts the possibility of knowledge.
  • 怀疑论。
    Tā de huái yí lún ràng tā bù qīng yì xiāng xìn rèn hé wèi jīng zhèng shí de shuō fǎ.
    His skepticism makes him reluctant to believe any unverified claims.
  • ，怀疑论。
    Zài zhé xué shǐ shàng, huái yí lún yǔ dú duàn lùn xíng chéng le xiān míng de duì bǐ.
    In the history of philosophy, skepticism stands in sharp contrast to dogmatism.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

怀疑doubt
怀huáihold疑yídoubt
动宾Verb + object
论lùntheory

Holding doubt combines with a theory sense to name philosophical skepticism.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 懷; 怀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái懷huái
Same sound today

The traditional form 懷 uses 心 (heart) to show longing and 褱 for the sound; the simplified 怀 is a later shorthand.

Open 怀 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 大大dàstanding human figure
  • 夂夂zhǐtilted head with open mouth
  • 丨丨gǔncane

疑 depicts a standing figure 大 with a tilted, open-mouthed head 夂 and a cane 丨, a confused person looking around for direction.

Open 疑 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 論; 论 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún論lùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 論 pairs 言 (“say”) with 侖 as a sound component; the simplified 论 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 论 →

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