21. Moore’s concept really comes down to
this: the concept ‘know’ is analogous to the concepts ‘believe’, ‘surmise’,
‘doubt’, ‘be convinced’ in that the statement “I know…..” can’t be a mistake.
And if that is so, then there can be
an inference from such an utterance to the truth of an assertion. And here the
form “I thought I knew” is being overlooked. – But if this latter is
inadmissible, then a mistake in the assertion
must be logically impossible too. And anyone who is acquainted with the
language-game must realize this – an assurance from a reliable man that he knows cannot contribute anything.
if every assertion is uncertain –
then the concept of a ‘mistake ‘ – is
irrelevant
yes the claim ‘to know’ – contributes
nothing –
whether from a ‘reliable man’ or not –
unless rhetoric is regarded as a
contribution
