on certainty 8

8. The difference between the concept of ‘knowing’ and the concept of ‘being certain’ isn’t of any great importance at all, except where “I know” is meant to mean I can’t be wrong. In a law court, for example, “I am certain” could replace “I know” in every piece of testimony. We might even imagine its being forbidden to say “I know” there. [A passage in Wilhem Meister, where “you know” or “You knew” is used in the sense “You were certain”, the facts being different from what he knew.]

the facts being different from what he knew –

nevertheless he was certain

if so

certainty is either an irrelevancy –

a delusion –

or both

and once certainty has been dropped –

if we are to use the term ‘knowing’ –

it needs to understood as meaning –

being uncertain

© greg t. charlton. 2009.