'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.




Saturday, December 12, 2009

on certainty 190

190. What we call historical evidence points to the existence of the earth a long time before my birth; – the opposite hypothesis has nothing on its side.



you can’t say there’s nothing on its side –

unless it has actually  been put forward –

and argued for

there is nothing to stop someone doing this –

and if they did –

it would be interesting to see what their argument is –

and their evidence for it

as to the hypothesis –

that the earth existed a long time before my birth –

this hypothesis and the evidence for it –

like the opposite hypothesis and evidence –

is be open to question –

open to doubt


© greg t. charlton. 2009.