339.
Imagine someone who is supposed to fetch a friend from the railway
station and doesn’t simply look the train up in the time-table and go to the
station at the right time, but says: “I have no belief that the train will
really arrive, but I will go to the station all the same.” He does everything
that the normal person does, but accompanies it with doubts or self-annoyance,
etc.
I may expect
that the train will arrive – but I don’t know
that it will
my expectation will – in terms of knowledge
– be groundless
nevertheless it is what I operate with –
timetables may reinforce my expectation –
but they do not make the train’s arrival – more probable or certain
‘he does everything that the normal person
does, but accompanies it with doubts or self-annoyance, etc.’
I would suggest he does what others do –
without the pretense of knowledge –
without the delusion of certainty
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
