'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.




Sunday, December 21, 2014

Philosophical Grammar 93


93. Expectation is preparatory behaviour.

“Expectation is a thought”

If hunger is called a wish it is a hypothesis that just that will satisfy the wish.

In “I have been expecting him all day” “expect” does not mean a persistent condition.



‘Expectation is preparatory behaviour’?

preparatory behaviour?

an expectation is a proposal – a proposal for a state of affairs

are you prepared for it?

that you won’t know until what occurs – occurs

and your knowledge here – will be uncertain

“Expectation is a thought”

‘thought’ is a characterization – of a proposal – or set of proposals – i.e.  ‘I think this’ – ‘I have thought this

the ‘this’ here – is the proposal –

characterizing it in terms of thought or thinking – is explaining or describing the proposition – giving account of it –

and this description of thought or thinking – is a proposal – that in turn can be further described

and if you want to go further – ‘mind’ – is a proposal – and just of what? –

is open to question – open to doubt – uncertain

logically speaking – ontologically speaking – all we have – what there is –

is proposals – open to question – open to doubt – uncertain –

proposals in response to the unknown

our realities are proposed –

and any proposition – is subject to proposal

‘If hunger is called a wish it is a hypothesis that just that will satisfy the wish’?

well whether a wish or not (perhaps better described as an appetite?) – yes an hypothesis –

open to question – open to doubt – uncertain

‘In “I have been expecting him all day” “expect” does not mean a persistent condition’?

it really does depend on just how you describe ‘expect’ – and that will be a question of context

perhaps a neurologist – or a chemist might argue that there is a basis for some persistence?