'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 31, 2010

on certainty 267


267. “I don’t merely have the visual impression of a tree: I know that is a tree”. 



the basic assertion here is ‘that is a tree’

prefacing this assertion with ‘I know’ –

is to claim an authority for the assertion

the only authority for an assertion is authorship

and if you make the assertion –

then claiming authorship –

is irrelevant and unnecessary


© greg t. charlton. 2010.
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