19. The statement “I know that here is a
hand” may then be continued: “for it is my hand that I’m looking at”.
Then a reasonable man will not doubt that I know. – Nor will the idealist;
rather he will say that he was not dealing with the practical doubt which is
being dismissed, but there is a further doubt behind that one. – That this is an illusion has to be shewn in a different way.
‘for it is my hand that I am looking at ‘ –
is really just a piece of rhetoric –
as indeed – is the
claim to ‘know’ –
if you drop all the rhetoric here –
all the persuasion –
what you have is the basic statement –
‘here is my hand’ –
the statement is not certain –
it is open to question – it is open to
doubt –
but at least it is honest –
and it comes without –
irrelevant and misleading baggage
the claim –‘that this is an illusion’ –
really just focuses our attention –
on the fact that reality –
can be and is –
variously described –
and understood
© greg t. charlton. 2009.
