128. We can read courage into a face and say “now once more courage fits
this face”.
This related to “an attributive adjective agrees with the subject”.
What do I do if I take a smile now as a kind one, now as malicious? This
is connected with the contrast between saying
and meaning.
we read courage into a face – and say ‘now courage fits the face’?
we use the description ‘courage’ – to describe a face
and anyone listening will have some idea of what is being said – if they
are familiar with the description ‘courage’ –
but just what the speaker means by the term ‘courage’ – and just what
any listener understands it to mean – would involve a great deal of further
description –
it is quite possible that at any point in the analysis – no one will
agree exactly with another’s definition
what we deal with in any description – is uncertainty –
some might take from this that we don’t communicate –
the fact is we do –
our communication is uncertain –
that is the way of it –
and indeed the source of its richness
‘an attributive adjective agrees with the subject’?
if we decide that it does –
any propositional decision – is open to question – open to doubt – is
uncertain
‘What do I do if I take a smile now as a kind one, now as malicious?
I change my description – for whatever reason
‘This is connected with the contrast between saying and meaning.’?
when I say something – I bring interpretation to what is said –
my interpretation is my meaning
however any interpretation –
any meaning –
is open to question – open to doubt – is uncertain
in practice we often have to stop and think – re-examine our meaning –
put forward supplementary proposals –
these too can be reinterpreted –
logically speaking there is no end to this
what brings interpretation to a stop – what enables us to ‘settle on a
meaning’ – so to speak –
is the need to get on with it – to proceed – to act
we proceed – and we proceed in uncertainty
© greg t. charlton. 2015.