'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.




Thursday, June 17, 2010

on certainty 515


515. If my name is not L. W., how can I rely on what is meant by “true” and “false”?



what is ‘true’ is what you give your assent to –

for whatever reason you have

what is ‘false’ is what you dissent from –

for whatever reason you have

there is nothing to rely on –

I expect that I will continue for some time –

to be able to decide –

what I will proceed with –

and what I will not proceed with

but there is no certainty in this

and the expectation –

natural as it might be –

is in fact groundless


greg t. charlton. 2010.