308. ‘Knowledge’ and ‘certainty’ belong to
different categories. They are not
two ‘mental states’ like, say ‘surmising’ and ‘being sure’. (Here I assume it
is meaningful for me to say “ I know what (e.g.) the word ‘doubt’ means” and
that this sentence indicates that the word “doubt” has a logical role.) What
interests us now is not being sure but knowledge. That is, we are interested in
the fact that about certain empirical propositions no doubt can exist if making
judgments is possible at all. Or again: I am inclined to believe that not
everything that has the form of an empirical proposition is one.
knowledge – is not a mental state –
knowledge is a proposal – a proposition –
open to question – open to doubt –
to claim certainty is to make a stand for
ignorance
if when you say –
‘I know what the word ‘doubt ‘ means’ –
and you are claiming certainty –
then you misuse the word ’know’
to know is to recognize uncertainty –
and to deal in uncertainty
and so the meaning of ‘doubt’ –
as with meaning of any word –
is open to question –
is open to doubt
the logic of language –
is the logic of uncertainty
‘about certain empirical propositions no
doubt can exist if making judgments is possible at all’ –
judgment is only a possibility – given
uncertainty –
if there is no doubt – there will be no
judgment
a proposition – empirical or otherwise –is
a proposal –
and as such – uncertain
how we characterize a proposition –
i.e. – as ‘empirical’ – as ‘non- empirical’
– or whatever –
is a question of usage –
a matter of circumstance
and any characterization itself –
will be open to question –
open to doubt
