84. Moore says he knows that the earth existed long before
his birth. And put like that it seems to be a personal statement about him,
even if it is in addition a statement about the physical world. Now it is
philosophically uninteresting whether Moore knows this or
that, but it is interesting that, and how, it can be shown. If Moore had informed
us that he knew the distance separating certain stars, we might conclude from
that he had made some special investigations, and we shall want to know what
they were. But Moore chose precisely a case in which we all seem to know the same as he,
and without being able to say how. I believe e.g. that I know as much about
this matter (the existence of the earth) as Moore does, and if he knows that it
is as he says, then I know it too.
For it isn’t, either, as if he has arrived at his proposition by pursuing some
line of thought which, while it is open to me, I have not in fact pursued.
when Moore asserts ‘I
know’ –
he is asserting an authority for his
assertion –
the only authority he has –
is his authorship –
so – ‘I know …’ – comes to –
‘I am the author of this assertion’ –
therefore –
‘I know’ – is redundant and irrelevant –
it adds nothing of value –
to any assertion
if Moore or anyone else says –
‘the earth existed long before my birth’ –
that assertion –
like any assertion –
is open to question –
open to doubt –
and is uncertain
© greg t. charlton. 2009.
