'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.




Saturday, January 03, 2015

Philosophical Grammar 113


IX


113. Is the pictorial character of thought an agreement with reality? In what sense can I say that a proposition is a picture?



‘the pictorial character of thought’?

we can use the description ‘thought’ – and all that goes with it to characterize what we propose – to characterize a proposition –

and you can then go on and further describe your characterization ‘thought’ – as a ‘picture’

does the proposal agree with reality?

if we are talking about an un-described reality – what we are talking about is the unknown

does the proposal agree with the unknown?

the unknown is silent

if the question is – does the proposal agree with an already described reality?

yea or nay – the matter is open to question – open to doubt – uncertain

that is the logical and practical reality –

we may assume agreement or disagreement – simply to get on with it –

but here we are talking pragmatism – not logic

‘In what sense can I say that a proposition is a picture’?

a proposition can be described in any number of ways – ‘picture’ – is one –

there is no necessity here – it depends on what your doing and why –

it’s a question of circumstance – of propositional context – propositional practice –
even propositional histories

presumably in some circumstance – in some context – the description ‘picture’ works

and if so – the description has utility –

however utility or not – there is always a question



© greg t. charlton. 2015.