“Surely seeing is one thing, & showing that I see is
another thing”. –
This certainly, is like saying “skipping is one thing &
jumping
another”.
But
here there is a sup
plement to this statement
& we can say “skipping is this (showing it)
& jumping this (showing it)”.
Now how about this supplement in the first case?
“Seeing red is this (showing it) & showing
that we see red, this
¤ (showing it)
.”
The point is just that there isn't a ‘showing that I
see’ except showing that I see.
“But can't I say: seeing red is what
I'm doing now” (looking at something
red)?
And although in a sense the other man can't directly
see what || be aware of the acting or activity
I'm talking about, I certainly know what
it is it is that I'm talking about.
“That is although for him I can't point directly
to the my seeing red, for myself I can point to it, & in this sense
I can give an ostensive definition of the expression to myself.
← But an ostensive
definition is not a
magic act
of conjury.
If I explain to someone
to || the use of ‒ ‒ ‒ by ‒ ‒ ‒
Giving the
ostensive
definition simply consists in ‒ ‒ ‒.
One might be inclined to say that castling was not just the act of
… .
But it is the game of
which it is
part … .
So what does giving to myself the ostensive
definition of red consist in?
I suppose we should say I suppose
looking || – Now how am I to describe it shall I say seeing
red &
saying to myself that I do. || ‘this is
red.’ || ‘I see
red.’–
Or is it “seeing a certain colour sensation &
saying ‘I see red’”?
The first version it seems doesn't account for the
fact || won't do as it isn't essential to us that when
I do for myself what I call ‘seeing red’
that should necessarily be what the others
understand || mean by seeing red. || The first version I don't like I assume that the others
know || have what the
colour || very same private impression which I am
having.
So I would rather leave it open what colour I am
concentrating my attention on.
But then how can I call it a colour?
Isn't it just as uncertain that I mean by colour what he
means as that I mean by red what they mean &
doesn't the same of course holds
for || applies to ‘seeing’ (for what
here I mean by the word is not an activity of the human
eye).
(The second version is justified only if I wish to say that it does not
matter here to which of the colours (say, red, green, blue, yellow)
he gives || he assigns the name
‘red’ & so this means we might have
said “he sees a same colour, say,
blue & says ‘I see
red.’”.)