our every attempt to convince ourselves that certainty is possible. No one in two thousand years of Western philosophy--no one since Gorgias the Sophist"--has made it quite so difficult for us RSVP George Berkeley's philo sophy of immaterialism has been happily summarized in a limerick There was a young man who said, God Must think it exceedingly odd If he finds that this tree Continues to be When there 's no one about in the ouad Reply Dear sir Your astonishment's odd I am always about in the Quad And that' s why the tree Will continue to be Since observed by Yours faithfully Attributed to RONALd KNOX THE PRAGMATIC NATURE OF KNOWING 13 In a moment of refreshing honesty, David Hume composed a confession which speaks for many great thinkers, from Socrates to the seventies, whose lifeblood is spent wrestling with abstract and unobservable entities, but who still possess the great gift of keeping their philosophical reflections in perspective. Hume wrote Should it be asked me whether I sincerely assent to this argument which I have been to such pains to inculcate, and whether i be really one of those skeptics who hold that all is uncertain,.I should reply. that neither I nor any other person was ever sincerely and constantly of that opinion.. I dine, I play backgammon, I converse and am merry with my friends; and when, after three or four hours amusement, I would return to these speculations, they appear so cold and strained and ridiculous that I cannot find in my heart to enter into them any further.. Thus the skeptic still continues to reason and believe, though he asserts that he cannot defend his reason by reason,and by the same rule he must assent to the principle concerning the existence of body, though he cannot pretend by any arguments of philosophy, to maintain its veracity 14 Let's take seriously what David Hume implies in this moment of truth. Here is our Scottish skeptic whose reason tells him one set of facts(we know nothing certain of the real world), but whose experience seems to contradict his reason("I dine, I play backgammon, I converse. " ) When such conflict exists between theory and experience, then a solution must be sought.(Remember that infamous bumblebeeour every attempt to convince ourselves that certainty is possible. No one in two thousand years of Western philosophy--no one since Gorgias the Sophist"--has made it quite so difficult for us. RSVP, George Berkeley's philosophy of immaterialism has been happily summarized in a 1imerick: There was a young man who said, "God Must think it exceedingly odd If he finds that this tree Continues to be When there's no one about in the Quad." Reply Dear Sir: Your astonishment's odd. I am always about in the Quad. And that's why the tree Wi1l continue to be, Since observed by Yours faithfully, God. ◼ Attributed to RONALD KNOX THE PRAGMATIC NATURE OF KNOWING 13 In a moment of refreshing honesty, David Hume composed a confession which speaks for many great thinkers, from Socrates to the seventies, whose lifeblood is spent wrestling with abstract and unobservable entities, but who still possess the great gift of keeping their philosophical reflections in perspective. Hume wrote: “Should it be asked me whether I sincerely assent to this argument which I have been to such pains to inculcate, and whether I be really one of those skeptics who hold that all is uncertain,... I should reply... that neither I nor any other person was ever sincerely and constantly of that opinion.... I dine, I play backgammon, I converse and am merry with my friends; and when, after three or four hours' amusement, I would return to these speculations, they appear so cold and strained and ridiculous that I cannot find in my heart to enter into them any further.... Thus the skeptic still continues to reason and believe, though he asserts that he cannot defend his reason by reason; and by the same rule he must assent to the principle concerning the existence of body, though he cannot pretend, by any arguments of philosophy, to maintain its veracity.” 14 Let's take seriously what David Hume implies in this moment of truth. Here is our Scottish skeptic whose reason tel1s him one set of facts (we know nothing certain of the real world), but whose experience seems to contradict his reason ("I dine, I play backgammon, I converse..."). When such conflict exists between theory and experience, then a solution must be sought. (Remember that infamous bumblebee