on certainty 641

641. “He told me about it today – I can’t be making a mistake about that.” – But what if it does turn out to be wrong?! – Mustn’t one make a distinction between the ways in which something ‘turns out wrong’? – How can it be shewn that my statement was wrong? Here evidence is facing evidence, and it must be decided which is to give way.

‘I can be making a mistake about that’ –

is to say – I am certain about it –

any assertion – is open to question – open to doubt –

and is therefore – uncertain

‘But what if it does turn out to be wrong?’

there is no right or wrong –

what we deal with is uncertainty

a statement is used – or it is not

‘the ways in which something turns out wrong’ –

is really the ways in which our expectations can be disappointed –

and it’s not worth spending too much time thinking about that

‘how can it be shown that my statement was wrong?’ –

all that is possible here is argument –

that is all showing amounts to

evidence facing evidence –

is argument facing argument

uncertainty facing uncertainty

‘and it must be decided which is to give way’ –

yes a decision will be made –

and any decision made –

will be open to question –

open to doubt

© greg t. charlton. 2010.