Re: Knowledge vs. Belief LO2640

Peter Marks (marks@halcyon.com)
Thu, 31 Aug 1995 10:23:21 -0700 (PDT)

Replying to LO2623 --

John Woods writes:

> I would like to put forth quote from Robert Blake, the poet, on this
> topic: "The truth can never be told so as to be understood and not be
> b'lieved."
>
> In other words, when we understand something, we believe it. Ponder that.

After pondering, I find John's paraphrase overgenerous. I read Blake as
saying

For something truly [pardon the pun] true to be truly [pardon the pun]
understood, THAT IT IS TRUE must be part of the understanding.

I don't think that Blake is intending to deal with the implications of
understanding things that aren't true. In fact in the spirit of my
reading, it would be fair to say

For something truly false to be truly understood, that it is false must
be part of the understanding.

so in this case understanding is (presumably) tantamount to disbelief.

And in the most common case - neither true nor false - the same logic leads
me to the conclusion that true understanding implies ambivalence.

P-)

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