on certainty 555

19.4

555. We can know that water boils when it is put over a fire. How do we know? Experience has taught us. I say “I know that I had breakfast this morning”; experience hasn’t taught me that. One also says “I know that he is in pain”. The language-game is different every time, we are sure every time, and people will agree with us that we are in a position to know every time. And that is why the propositions of physics are found in text-books for everyone.

If someone says he knows something, it must be something that, by general consent, he is in a position to know.

‘water boils when it is put over fire’

‘I had breakfast this morning’

‘he is in pain’

straight out assertions

prefacing these assertions with ‘I know’ –

does what?

burdens them with an irrelevance –

turns what are simple elegant statements –

into problematics

the claim of knowledge is a claim of authority –

the only authority you have is your authorship –

and if that is the case – no need to assert it –

and that is all ‘I know’ as a claim to authority – amounts to-

an assertion of authorship –

if your idea is that you have some other authority for your assertion –

you are engaging in pretence and deception

forget the rhetoric –

and simply make your assertions –

say what you have to say – clearly and simply –

without any rhetorical baggage

you assertions will have their day –

in the marketplace of assent and dissent –

claiming to know –

in the end – will have no effect –

one way or the other –

people will either agree or disagree –

most likely you will have a better run –

if you avoid pomposity and pretence

the logical reality is –

that any proposition you put forward –

is open to question –

open to doubt –

is uncertain

when Wittgenstein says ‘we are sure every time’

he shows himself to be either a con artist –

or a fool

the reason that the propositions of physics are found in texts books –

is not because they are certain –

but rather because the text book is a convenient  media –

for introducing students to physics –

and that means to uncertainty

if you are waiting for general consent –

for your knowledge – or your position to know –

you may as well through the towel in –

and just accept that your ‘knowledge’ – is uncertain

and without any authority –

but the fact of your assertion

© greg t. charlton. 2010.