563. One says, “I know that he is in pain”
although one can produce no convincing grounds for this. – Is this the same as
“I am sure that he…”? – No. “I am sure” tells you my subjective certainty. “I
know” means that I who know it, and the person who doesn’t are separated by a
difference in understanding. (Perhaps based on a difference in degree of
experience.)
If I say “I know” in mathematics, then the
justification for this is a proof.
If in these two cases instead of “I know”, one says “you can rely on it” then
the substantiation is of a different kind in each case.
And substantiation comes to an end
‘although one can produce no convincing
grounds for this –‘
yes – the claim to know – if it means
certainty – is empty and deceptive
‘subjective’ – or ‘objective’ – if the
claim is certainty –
it is false and pretentious
the difference that separates you and the
person who doesn’t claim to know –
is pretence – you’re pretentious – he isn’t
a ‘proof’ in mathematics – is a language
game –
best understood as – poetry
‘you can rely on it’ –
whether a reference to a statement about
pain –
or a statement in mathematics –
is just rhetoric
and rhetoric is only ‘substantiated’ – if
you can call it that –
by rhetoric
‘And the substantiation comes to an end’? –
I wonder –
is there an end to bullshit?
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
