Though WW Webster seems to include definitions which put "doubt" in the
category of an objective "something" which one possesses and by which one
might choose not to affirm (in a positive sense), Roget's Thesaurus includes
doubt in the category of negation of ideas:
II. MODES OF COMMUNICATION Negation. -- N. negation, abnegation; denial;
disavowal, disclaimer; abjuration; contradiction, contravention; recusation,
protest; recusancy &c. (dissent) [more]; flat contradiction, emphatic
contradiction, emphatic denial, dementi. qualification &c. [more];
repudiation &c. [more]; retraction &c. [more]; confutation &c. [more];
refusal &c. [more]; prohibition &c. [more]. V. deny; contradict, contravene;
controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head. disown,
disaffirm, disclaim, disavow; recant &c. [more]; revoke &c. (abrogate)
[more]. dispute; impugn, traverse, rebut, join issue upon; bring in
question, call in question &c. (DOUBT) [more]; give (one) the lie in his
throat. deny flatly, deny peremptorily, deny emphatically, deny absolutely,
deny wholly, deny entirely; give the lie to, belie. repudiate &c. [more];
set aside, ignore &c. [more]; rebut &c. (confute) [more]; qualify &c.
[more]; refuse &c. [more]. Adj. denying &c.v.; denied &c.v.; contradictory;
negative, negatory; recusant &c. (dissenting) [more]; at issue upon. Adv.
no, nay, not, nowise; not a bit, not a whit, not a jot; not at all, not in
the least, not so; no such thing; nothing of the kind, nothing of the sort;
quite the contrary, tout au contraire, far from it; tant s'en faut; on no
account, in no respect; by no, by no manner of means; negatively. (Emphasis
added).
Pending a metaphysic of "doubt" (which would place it as a Platonic form or
a negation of reality), I could accept your definition...but think that
"doubt" must originate--spiritually--from opposition to truth and not as a
necessary component of it.
Brett
Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
The average woman would rather have beauty than brains,
because the average man can see better than he can think.