'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.




Saturday, June 20, 2009

on certainty 34


34. If someone is taught to calculate, is he also taught that he can rely on a calculation of his teacher’s? But these explanations must after all sometime come to an end. Will he also be taught that he can trust his senses – since he is indeed told in many cases that in such and such a special case you cannot trust them? –

Rule and exception.



‘If someone is taught to calculate, is he also taught that he can rely on a calculation of his teacher’s?

being taught to rely on a calculation of the teacher –

is being taught to assume the teacher’s authority

‘But these explanations must after all sometime come to an end.’

they come to an end when people stop asking for them –

and most likely that will happen once they realise that all they are getting in these so called ‘explanations’ –

is just reassertions of the initial claim of authority –

and when they realise –

this claim to authority – is based on nothing –

nothing but – assertion

‘Will he also be taught that he can trust his senses – since he is indeed told in many cases that in such and such a special case you cannot trust them? –

the idea of trust here – is irrelevant

you operate with your senses –

and what the senses show you – display to you –

is uncertainty

and it is this uncertainty –

that is the source –

of all the power variety and beauty –

of sensuality

rule and exception?

a rule is just another uncertain proposition –

and likewise any ‘exception’ –

to any so called rule


© greg t. charlton. 2009.