'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.




Saturday, March 27, 2010

on certainty 375

375.  Here one must realise that complete absence of doubt at some point, even where we would say that legitimate doubt can exist, need not falsify a language-game. For there is also something like another arithmetic.

I believe that this admission must underlie any understanding of logic.



first up there is no ‘falsification’ of a language-game –

the language game is – uncertain

if you say that there is certainty – where doubt can exist –

then you are a fraud

and so this other ‘arithmetic’ is –

deception

and yes if you hold with certainty –

this deception will underlie your ‘understanding’ of logic –

and your logic will be –

worthless


© greg t. charlton. 2010.