'For the person or persons that hold dominion, can no more combine with the keeping up of majesty the running with harlots drunk or naked about the streets, or the performances of a stage player, or the open violation or contempt of laws passed by themselves than they can combine existence with non-existence'.

- Benedict de Spinoza. Political Treatise. 1677.




Thursday, May 21, 2009

on certainty 3


3. If e.g. someone says “I don’t know if there is a hand here’ he might be told “Look closer”. – This possibility of satisfying oneself is part of the language-game. It is one of its essential features.



when does he stop looking closer?

when he’s  found what?

knowledge?

any ‘satisfaction’ here –

is pretence

and yes – perhaps pretence –

just is one of the essential features –

of the language-game


© greg t. charlton. 2009.