'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.




Friday, July 03, 2009

on certainty 52


52. This situation is thus not like “At this distance from the sun there is a planet” and “Here is a hand” (namely my own hand). The second can’t be called a hypothesis. But there isn’t a sharp boundary line between them.



call these propositions –

what you will –

there’s no boundary line between them –

sharp or otherwise –

any proposition is a proposal

is uncertain

how a proposition functions –

will depend on the context of  its use

and even then –

whatever the context –

be it immediate or not

a question is always possible –

a doubt –

can always be raised


© greg t. charlton. 2009.