409. If I say “I know that that’s a foot” –
what am I really saying? Isn’t the whole point that I am certain of the
consequences – that if someone else had been in doubt I might say to him “you
see – I told you so”? Would my knowledge still be worth anything if it let me
down as a clue in action? And can’t it let me down?
the ‘I know’ in ‘I know that that’s a foot’
–
is a claim of authority for the proposition
–
‘that’s a foot’
the only authority is authorship -
and so ‘I know’ –
is irrelevant and unnecessary
if you are certain of the consequences of
your statement –
you are a fool –
you can’t know what the consequences will
be
fair enough to take a punt –
and you can still say ‘I told you so’ –
if it turns out as you expected –
there is no knowledge here –
there is only expectation
and the ‘ground’ of expectation –
is uncertainty
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
