483. The correct use of the expression “I know”. Someone
with bad sight asks me “do you believe that the thing we can see there is a
tree?” I reply “I know it is; I can
see it clearly and am familiar with it”. – A: “Is N.N at home?” – I: “I believe
he is.” – A: ‘Was he at home yesterday?” – I: “Yesterday he was – I know he
was; I spoke to him.” – A: “Do you know or only believe that this part of the
house is built on later than the rest?” – I: “I know it is; I got it from so
and so.”
‘I can see it clearly and am familiar with it’ –
‘yesterday he was – I spoke to him’ –
‘I got it from so and so’ –
are straight out propositions – proposals – open
to question – open to doubt
the preface ‘I know’ – is a claim to an authority –
the only authority is authorship –
it is unnecessary and irrelevant to claim authorship of your
assertion –
logically speaking ‘I know’ is unnecessary and irrelevant
beyond authorship –
any claim to an authority is rhetorical
‘I believe he is’ –
the use of ‘believe’ here is logically correct –
if it indicates uncertainty –
however given that any proposition is open to question –
open to doubt – is uncertain –
it is unnecessary and irrelevant –
in so far as ‘believe’ is rhetorical –
it has no logical value –
and is basically hot air
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
