500. But it would also strike me as
nonsense to say “I know that the law of induction is true”.
Imagine such a statement in a court of law!
It would be more correct to say “I believe in the law of…” where ‘believe’ has
nothing to do with surmising.
to say you know anything –
is nonsense –
but you can say –
‘the law of induction is true’
–
for this is just to give your assent to it –
for whatever reason
to say you ‘believe’ or that you ‘surmise’
–
is to recognize –
that the proposition in question –
and any response you have to it –
i.e. ‘true’ or ‘false’ –
is uncertain
these terms ‘believe’ and ‘surmise’ –
amount to the same thing –
and they really only have function –
in a context –
where you are responding to –
or battling –
claims of certainty
where uncertainty is understood –
they are irrelevant
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
