on certainty 423

423. Then why don’t I simply say with Moore “I know that I am in England”? Saying this is meaningful in particular circumstances, which I can imagine. But when I utter the sentence outside these circumstances, as an example to show that I know truths of this kind with certainty, then it strikes me as fishy. – Ought it to?

I am in England’ – may be meaningful in particular circumstances’ –

‘I know I am in England’ is not

to preface any statement with ‘I know’ –

is to claim an authority for that statement

the only authority is authorship –

and it is redundant and irrelevant –

to assert authorship of your statement

any claim to authority – beyond authorship –

in or out – of a particular circumstance –

is false and deceptive

the only value any such claim has –

is rhetorical

© greg t.charlton. 2010.