Doubt: A History Book Summary - Doubt: A History Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Doubt: A History summary

Jennifer Michael Hecht

The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson

3.5 (60 ratings)
20 mins
Table of Contents

    Doubt: A History
    Summary of 9 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 9

    Doubt, an influential force throughout time, has often been omitted from the history books.

    Do you remember sitting in history class and learning about all the incredible people, full of creative ideas, who stuck to their convictions and changed the world? Well, while they’re certainly captivating, the stories history tells us tend to omit one thing: doubt.

    Why?

    Because the arguments and even the existence of doubters have often been wiped from the slates of history by states and religions, probably because doubters have tended to be fringe critics of just those institutions. Naturally, a state or religion wouldn’t want to give much credence to these naysayers and would avoid acknowledging them whenever possible.

    Take Judaism. In 200 BCE many Jewish communities replaced their traditions with customs from Greek culture, including its language, communal exercise, and even aspects of Greek religion.

    The result?

    Some Jewish authorities viewed these communities as a threat and destroyed them. Now they’re barely referred to in Judaism’s official religious texts.

    But even when history does mention doubters it tends to essentialize them as individuals with specific ideas. This results in a further eclipsing of the greater histories of doubt and the connections between them.

    In fact, it’s even possible for a trained historian like the author to miss the signs of doubt. The history of doubt was always in her peripheral vision as she worked on other projects, and it took time for her to focus on it. It wasn’t until she saw the sheer number of doubters through history and how their ideas influenced one another that she got the idea to write a book on the subject.

    And it’s lucky for you that she did, because the history of doubt encompasses both highly abstract and unknown thinkers as well as some of the most brilliant minds ever to exist. But how far back does this history go?

    Want to see all full key ideas from Doubt: A History?

    Key ideas in Doubt: A History

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Doubt: A History about?

    Doubt: A History (2004) is a journey through one of time’s best kept secrets: the people who have stood up to accepted truths, even when it cost them their lives. These blinks share the stories of doubters with conviction from Ancient Greece and India to the modern era, and how they have shaped the way we live and think today.

    Best quote from Doubt: A History

    Plato offers the amazing idea that contemplation of the way things really are is, in itself, a purifying process that can bring human beings into the only divinity there is.

    —Jennifer Michael Hecht
    example alt text

    Who should read Doubt: A History?

    • Anyone wanting to learn about the history of doubters and their observations
    • People who want to know what connects seemingly unrelated figures like Aristotle, Benjamin Franklin and Job
    • Anyone interested in religion and its critics

    About the Author

    Jennifer Michael Hecht is an American teacher, writer and philosopher. Her other well-known books include The Happiness Myth: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong and Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It. In addition to non-fiction, she is a prolific writer and publisher of poetry.

    Categories with Doubt: A History

    Books like Doubt: A History

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial