178. The wrong use made by Moore of the
proposition “I know” lies in his regarding it as an utterance as little subject
to doubt as “I am in pain”. And since from “I know it is so” there follows “It
is so” then the latter cannot be doubted either.
‘I am in pain’ – may be a good description
–
of your state of being –
at a certain time and place
but it is not the only possible description
–
and in any case who’s to say for certain –
what it means?
the point being –
this assertion – like any assertion –
is open to question –
open to doubt
‘I know’ – is a claim to an authority –
the only authority – is authorship
to claim authorship of your assertion –
is irrelevant and unnecessary
‘I know’ – is irrelevant and unnecessary
it might have a use in persuasion –
but that is rhetoric not logic
‘I know it is so’ –
without the useless preface – ‘I know’ –
comes down to – ‘it is so’
‘it is so’ – is just another assertion
open to question –
open to doubt –
uncertain
© greg t.charlton. 2009.
