'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.




Monday, June 28, 2010

on certainty 532

532. So when Moore sat in front of tree and said “I know that that is a tree”, he was simply stating the truth about his state at the time.

[I do philosophy now like an old woman who is always mislaying something and having to look for it again: now her spectacles now her keys.]



if he was claiming to know – and being genuine – he was deluded –

if not deluded – and claiming to know – he was involved in deception


[doing philosophy is not mislaying what you have found and looking for it –

it is not knowing what you will find when you look]


© greg t. charlton. 2010.