[lit-ideas] Re: agnotology
- From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:30:10 +0100 (BST)
--- On Thu, 21/4/11, John Wager <john.wager1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>Just today, I have had the experience of being asked at least three times if
>I'm sure that I know that I know that I (a) took out the trash, (b) was
>careful not to spill any yellow paint on the cabinet fronts being re-stained
>by my wife in the basement, and (c) called the man about the deck repair.
>Such experiences are probably the most common example of whether just
>"knowing" or having to "KNOW that you know" are more than just academic
>exercises.>
This sounds like using "Do you _know_ you know?" as a surrogate for "Are you
_sure_ you're sure?", which given the slacker way some people [not John,
obviously] assert they are "sure" is often a fair question. If so, JLS should
not lightly regard this usage as some kind of linguistic ammunition in the
agnotology wars.
Donal
Double-checking the trash is out
London
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