'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.




Sunday, January 24, 2010

on certainty 250


250. My having two hands is, in normal circumstances, as certain as anything that I would produce in evidence for it.

That is why I am not in a position to take the sight of my hand as evidence for it.



so evidence is irrelevant if you are certain

so the question –

what is your certainty based on?

nothing –

apparently

so it’s groundless –

and that makes your certainty-

a prejudice –

a claim that you hold –

and hold not to be –

open to question –

open to doubt

another name for this ‘certainty’ –

is ignorance


© greg t. charlton. 2010.