'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.



Tuesday, July 20, 2010

on certainty 561


561. “I know” and “You can rely on it”. But one cannot always substitute the latter for the former.


‘I know’ –

is a claim to an authority –

the only authority –

is authorship –

beyond that –

any claim to authority –

is rhetorical

‘you can rely on it’ –

is a claim to an authority –

and like ‘I know’

or any other such claim –

it’s only value –

is rhetorical

so given that both assertions –

are rhetorical –

they amount to the same thing –

hot air


© greg t.charlton. 2010.
Posted by at