'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.




Friday, May 21, 2010

on certainty 473


473. Just as in writing we learn a particular basic form of letters and then vary it later, so we learn first the stability of things as the norm, which is then subject to alterations.



I would say we learn to operate with a basic form of letters –

and it doesn’t follow from that –

that we learn ‘the stability of things as the norm’

or indeed the instability of things –

we come to a view on these matters –

when the question arises or the question is put

and any view we come to –

will be open to question –

open to doubt


© greg t. charlton. 2010.