A peasant who merely says, “I have five pigs; if I kill one I shall have four pigs,” is thinking in an extremely simple and elementary way; but he is thinking as clearly and correctly as Aristotle or Euclid. But suppose he reads or half-reads newspapers and books of popular science. Suppose he starts to call one pig the Land and another pig Capital and a third pig Exports, and finally brings out the result that the more pigs he kills the more he possesses; or that every sow that litters decreases the number of pigs in the world. He has learnt economic terminology, merely as a means of becoming entangled in economic fallacy. It is a fallacy he could never have fallen into while he was grounded in the divine dogma that Pigs is Pigs.
-G. K. Chesterton, "Logic and Lawn Tennis"
Showing posts with label logic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label logic. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Logic
“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “atleast—at least I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see!’”
“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare, “that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like!’”
“You might just as well say,” added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, “that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe!’”
“It is the same thing with you,” said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute...
-Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 65-66.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “atleast—at least I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see!’”
“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare, “that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like!’”
“You might just as well say,” added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, “that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe!’”
“It is the same thing with you,” said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute...
-Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 65-66.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Happy Thursday
Happy Thursday to you,
Happy Thursday to you,
Happy Thursday, dear Alice,
Happy Thursday to you.
“Who is Alice?” asked Mother.
“Alice is somebody that nobody can see,” said Frances. “And that is why she does not have a birthday. So I am singing Happy Thursday to her.”
“Today is Friday,” said Mother.
“It is Thursday for Alice,” said Frances.
-Russell Hoban, A Birthday for Frances, 5-6.
Happy Thursday to you,
Happy Thursday, dear Alice,
Happy Thursday to you.
“Who is Alice?” asked Mother.
“Alice is somebody that nobody can see,” said Frances. “And that is why she does not have a birthday. So I am singing Happy Thursday to her.”
“Today is Friday,” said Mother.
“It is Thursday for Alice,” said Frances.
-Russell Hoban, A Birthday for Frances, 5-6.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Making the Best of Things
I shall put some red ruge on my face said Ethel because I am very pale owing to the drains in this house.
-Daisy Ashford, The Young Visiters
-Daisy Ashford, The Young Visiters
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Logic
“Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi.” What is permitted to Jove is not permitted to your cow.
-William F. Buckley, National Review
-William F. Buckley, National Review
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