'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.




Tuesday, March 16, 2010

on certainty 346


346. When I am trying to mate someone in chess, I cannot have doubts about the pieces perhaps changing places of themselves and my memory simultaneously playing tricks on me so that I don’t notice.



you can have these doubts –

and still play the game –

the doubts are legitimate

the question is –

would they be useful to you –

in playing the game?

I can’t see it myself –

but I can’t speak for others

I can’t say 

what is and is not useful –

to another


© greg t. charlton. 2010.