'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.



Thursday, November 12, 2009

on certainty 155

155. In certain circumstances a man cannot make a mistake. (“Can” here is used logically, and the proposition does not mean that a man cannot say anything false in those circumstances.) If Moore was to pronounce the opposite of those propositions he declares to be certain, we should not just not share his opinion: we should regard him as demented.



what we have is uncertain propositions

there are no mistakes

it doesn’t matter what Moore says one way or the other –

it’s his claim to certainty that is demented


© greg t. charlton. 2009.
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