'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, August 24, 2010

on certainty 612


612. I said I would ‘combat’ the other man – but wouldn’t I give him reasons? Certainly; but how far do they go? At the end of reasons comes persuasion. (Think what happens when missionaries convert natives.)



it is not that at the end of reasons –

comes persuasion –

the giving of reasons –

is persuasion –

is rhetoric


© greg t. charlton. 2010.
Posted by at