on certainty 393

393. The sentence “I know that that’s a tree” if it were said outside its language-game, might also be a quotation (from an English grammar-book perhaps). – “But suppose I mean it while I am saying it? The old misunderstanding about the concept ‘mean’.

‘I know’ – is a claim to an authority for a sentence –

the only authority – is authorship –

claiming authorship of your sentence –

is unnecessary and irrelevant

beyond authorship – any claim to authority –                                                                                                                                   

is rhetorical

‘I know’ – transforms any sentence it prefaces –

into rhetoric

saying to yourself – or to others – ‘I mean it’ –

is just another piece of rhetoric

drop the rhetoric and you have the unadulterated sentence –

‘that’s a tree’ –

and really – logically – that all you need –

you make your assertion –

it’s either assented to – for whatever reason –

or dissented from – for whatever reason

get into the business of persuading –

yourself – or others –

if that’s what you want to do –

but persuasion is not logic –

its rhetoric

© greg t. charlton. 2010.