August 31, 2007
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Epistemology
My morning turned really interesting because of something I couldn’t recall. Yesterday, in conversation, I heard a word I seldom hear in ordinary discourse. It made an impression largely because it was mispronounced, with a soft “ch” sound that would more properly have been a hard “k”. Today, all I can remember is the “ch” and the general gist of the conversation. One of the sharpest and most lucid Xangans I know refers to her mind as “Swiss cheese.” If she is Swiss cheese, what does that make me?
After I posted my entry for the weekly photo challenge, I set off to scratch the little mental itch of that partially remembered word. The concept has something to do with epistemology and my quest for a word soon turned into an enjoyable ramble through some philosophy sites. Next time that elusive word comes up, in conversation or in reading, I’ll probably recognize it, but may not recall why it has that significant ring to it.“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence“
“Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous”
“The Christian religion not only was at first attended
with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any
reasonable person without one““I have written on all sorts of subjects . . . yet I
have no enemies; except indeed all the Whigs, all the Tories, and all
the Christians.“
“He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstances.”“All that belongs to human understanding, in this deep
ignorance and obscurity, is to be skeptical, or at least cautious; and
not to admit of any hypothesis, whatsoever; much less, of any which is
supported by no appearance of probability.”
“I must confess that a man is guilty of unpardonable arrogance who concludes, because an argument has escaped his own investigation, that therefore it does not really exist. I must also confess that, though all the learned, for several ages, should have employed themselves in fruitless search upon any subject, it may still, perhaps, be rash to conclude positively that the subject must, therefore, pass all human comprehension.”
“I cannot find, I cannot imagine any such reasoning.
But I keep my mind still open to instruction, if any one will vouchsafe
to bestow it upon me.”
Not in the mood today to have news and talk for background sound, I switched from FM to CD and put a diverse mix on the changer, set to shuffle and repeat:As the music keeps me mellow, the transitions keep me awake.
Comments (4)
Hello! My name is Liz (aka Mailbox Head, lol) and I’m reading your site! I really liked the quotes you put up!
And I totally feel you on the whole “what was that word?” thing. I hate when you have something in your head, and you know it’s there, but you just can’t tell what exactly it is, and it BUGS you for HOURS! Happens to me all the time…but then again I’m naturally very scatter-brained anyway…
I feel that you are gjetost. A very bizarre and rare cheese, so different and yet very pleasant. People who have you around constantly love you and cherish you like an old friend, and people who aren’t used to you feel awkward.
great quotes, if only half the population could understand them. sad!
my favorite class was phenonenology. heidegger, husserl, and levinas were the most referenced. I’m sharp enough to appreciate it, but not quite sharp enough to really internalize what they’re saying. the class was overwhelming and tripped me out to the degree that I found myself experiencing an alternate state of reality. epistemology, the word, triggers for me really vivid memories of that time.