on certainty 500

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.