130. “ ‘ This object is familiar to me’ is like saying ‘this object is
portrayed in my catalogue’.” We are making the assumption that the picture in
our catalogue is itself familiar.
The sheath in my mind as a “form of imaging”. – The pattern is no longer
presented as an object, which means that it didn’t make sense to talk of a
pattern at all.
“Familiarity: an object’s fitting into a sheath” – that’s not quite the
same as our comparing what is seen
with a copy.
The question is “What do I
recognize as what?” For to “recognize
a thing as itself” is meaningless.
familiarity – is a question of use –
I am familiar with those propositions and propositional constructs that
I use or have used
‘the sheath in my mind’ – an interesting poetic image –
which amounts to – regular
propositional use –
propositional use mind you that is comfortable –
that is to say that is not put to the question – not made a subject of
doubt
the proposition is open to question – open to doubt – is uncertain
that is the logic of it
the practice of propositional use though is more often than not –
non-critical
we need to proceed – and in
practice we often proceed as if there is no question – no doubt –
this is pragmatism
its ground is the denial of logic
propositional use reflects both rational and non-rational behaviour –
‘familiarity’ is a symptom of the latter
‘The pattern is no longer presented as an object, which means that it
didn’t make sense to talk of a pattern at all’?
the idea here is that ‘a pattern’ in my mental catalogue becomes the
‘sheath’ in my mind and is a ‘form of imagining’ – or if you like a way of
imagining –
and as such the pattern is no longer an object – an no longer a pattern
this I think is taking the poetic image of ‘a sheath in the mind’ – just
a bit too far
yes – you may wish to describe use in terms of the mind
but look this is just unnecessarily dressing it up – to no logical
advantage
all you end up with is arcane imagery – which complicates the picture –
where it doesn’t need to be complicated
‘patterns of use’ – will do the trick – if you feel the need for an
adverb –
but really it’s just ‘use’
‘Familiarity: an object’s fitting into a sheath’?
as if this ‘sheath’ – this propositional behaviour – is somehow or
another stable
ignorance is the basis of stability –
if you question and doubt propositional practice – propositional behaviour
– there gores the ‘sheath’
‘comparing what is seen with a
copy’ –
yes – it is not the same thing as fitting an object – and by ‘object’ we
mean here a description – into a
sheath –
the crucial difference is that once you are involved in comparison – you
are involved in critical activity –
one description as against another –
what is similar – what is not?
what is familiar in either – where and how do the two uses coincide?
how do we ‘explain’ – describe their relation?
questions of epistemology and ontology – if not metaphysics
‘The question is “What do I
recognize as what?” For to “recognize
a thing as itself” is meaningless.’?
what do I recognize as what?
what do I describe as what – what description do I give to that which
has been proposed – i.e. – that which is already described in some fashion?
to recognize a thing as itself ?
is simply to describe it as you have already described it
might not be interesting – but it is hardly meaningless
© greg t. charlton. 2015.
