{Uncertainty[: The Presence of the Moment]}[27th May 1988]

[Redbook5:124-125][19880527:2240c]{Uncertainty[: The Presence of the Moment]}[27th May 1988]

19880527.2240

[continued]

Certain movements, pressures, influences are making themselves felt more and more strongly. One is the crucial importance of Uncertainty. I know nothing save the Presence of the Moment. (In practice, of course, I rely on everyday assumptions; but this is different.)

I neither believe, nor disbelieve, in the existence of God, Christ, history, science, or anything else: save the Presence of the Moment. (But this is the Uncertainty of Experience, not to be confused with the Uncertainty of Ignorance: I have come a long way to reach this point, even if I have further to go. Ignorance gives rise to Fantasy, and the possibility of Demons.)

It is the Uncertainty which justifies and authorises my Fiction. In an insert* near the end of [0], +K tells [the Narrator]: 'I do not know more of you than you know yourself. Your uncertainty of the World is mine of you, making us real.'** [The Narrator]*** replies: 'Am I then only my vision?' (I think I may have to return to this one.) And it is this expressed Uncertainty which gives me the confidence – the Authority – to put forward these answers, because (given my Uncertainty), as xS says in [2]: 'The Authority of the Answers is the Answers themselves.'***

*[in the [0] ms, presumably]

**[This response is not specifically attributed to the Narrator, in the [0] ts at least. In a later revision: '[+K] said: "I don’t know more of you than you know yourself. Your uncertainty of the World, and us, is mine of you, making us real." "Am I only then my vision?"]

***[Misattributed. In [2] the Narrator asks:“By what authority do you answer questions?" "By the authority of the answers." [xS] replied at once. [Later, after the Narrator objects,] "Nevertheless the authority of the answers is the answers themselves." [xS] replied. "If the answer does not carry its own authority to the questioner, then they are not fit for each other, and he had better disregard it." Later: "The authority of the answers is the answers themselves." [xP] said. "If you don't like them, you can leave."]

[The first two paragraphs come as something of a relief, after what has gone before. <20180302>]

[See [Redbook5:126-127][19880527:2240e]{The Burden}[27th May 1988].]

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