'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, January 15, 2010

on certainty 231


231. If someone doubted whether the earth had existed a hundred years ago, I should not understand, for this reason: I would not know what such a person would still allow to be counted as evidence and what would not.



perhaps their point is –

that what you count as evidence –

is not conclusive –

is not certain

given that no scientific evidence is –

how hard is that to understand?


© greg t. charlton. 2010.