It's impossible to know or prove anything absolutely

Throughout history, humans have sought after questions such as "what is knowledge?," "how do we know things?," or "how can we prove things?" While these questions are ones that deserve an answer, often times, the answer is more simple, and yet more complex, than many people consider it to be. Because it is impossible to know or prove anything absolutely, I urge you to vote Pro. For clarification purposes, I'll define a few terms: Impossible: not able to be done [1] Knowledge: be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information [2] Prove: demonstrate the truth of (something) by evidence or argument [3] Absolutely: totally [4] To give support to my position, I will be offering some justifications for my position. Also, please note that I am not attempting to prove my position, as this would run contrary to my argument. I am, however, attempting to show that the truth of my position is highly probable. Justification 1: The Theory of Epistemological Skepticism [5] The theory of epistemological skepticism is one that denies the ability to know anything to an absolute degree. In essence, this theory is the position I am taking. While a common argument against this theory is the statement, "if no truth is knowable, how do you know this to be true?" The logical response is that we don't–and that's precisely the point. Epistemological skepticism is a *theory* (a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based; a system of ideas intended to explain something), not a law. With the basic foundation of my position more clearly established, let's look at: Justification 2: Probability versus Proof While it can be argued that we can, in fact, prove things–such as DNA testing in a crime, the theory of cause and effect, or the laws of science–it is even more probable that we cannot prove anything to an absolute extent. This can be readily demonstrated through history: often times, scientists have formulated so-called "laws" that attempt to explain how things work. However, throughout history, scientists have consistently been incorrect. Whether in the belief that the universe revolves around the earth or the belief that cells are very simple structures, science has proved to be inconsistent at best. While I am by no means discrediting the ability of science to demonstrate the high probability of something to be true, science itself can be used as a reason to support the theory of epistemological skepticism. Human knowledge has been shown to be inherently limited (at least, the probability is extremely high), and because of this, it can be concluded that it is not possible to know or prove anything to an absolute degree–totally. While it is highly probable that a the death of a deer lying on the side of the road came as a result of a car hitting that deer–even with the blood of the deer across the bumper, damage to the deer's body and damage to the car's body, it is also possible (but highly improbable) that a person could have killed the deer, impacted it's body very hard, smeared the blood onto the bender of the said car, and then damaged the said bender. While some may laugh at this example, this is just one way of showing that the human ability to *prove* anything totally and completely is not actually there. Justification 3: Truth (Probably) Exists Despite the high probability that it is impossible to know or prove anything absolutely, it is highly probable that truth–in some form or another–does exist. For example, it is highly probable that the so-called "law" of gravity is true–that is, that there is a force that attracts a body toward the center of a physical body having mass. Despite the high probability that gravity exists, it is also possible (but highly unlikely) that gravity does *not* exist. Perhaps we shall be enlightened in the years to come. Perhaps not. Conclusion In the end, the theory of epistemological skepticism is one that is highly probable, and this can be readily demonstrated (though not proved, mind you) throughout human history. If my opponent can provide a way to absolutely and totally prove or know something, I challenge them to provide an example of such. As far as we have seen, however, total knowledge of the truth of something, and total proof of something, is unlikely. Despite this, things can be deemed as being "highly probable;" this is what the court system refers to as "proof," as even this so-called "proof" has proven (pun intended) to be incorrect at times. Thank you, and I ask you to vote Pro. Sources: [1] http://oxforddictionaries.com... [2] http://oxforddictionaries.com... [3] http://oxforddictionaries.com... [4] http://oxforddictionaries.com... [5] http://en.wikipedia.org...