'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.




Monday, April 05, 2010

on certainty 390


390. All that is important is that it makes sense to say that one knows such a thing; and consequently the assurance that one does know it can’t accomplish anything here.



to say that you know something –

is to claim an authority for a proposition –

the only authority – is authorship –

to say you are the author of your proposition

it is unnecessary and irrelevant

if your claim to authority –

is a claim of authority beyond authorship –

it is false –

at best saying you know has rhetorical value –

which in the end amounts to deception

assuring someone that you know –

is really just overdoing the bullshit


© greg t. charlton. 2010.