'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, October 30, 2009

on certainty 145


145.  One wants to say  All my experiences shew that this is so”. But how do they do that? For that proposition to which they point itself belongs to a particular interpretation of them.

“That I regard this proposition as certainly true also characterizes my interpretation of experience.”



experience in the absence of interpretation –

is unknown

interpretation of experience –

is uncertain

to argue that anything in your experience is certain –

is to deny experience


© greg t. charlton. 2009.