A Universal Philosophical Refutation :-)

[Guest guest]

A Universal Philosophical Refutation

 

A philosopher once had the following dream.

 

First Aristotle appeared, and the philosopher said to him, "Could you give

me a fifteen-minute capsule sketch of your entire philosophy?" To the

philosopher's surprise, Aristotle gave him an excellent exposition in which

he compressed an enormous amount of material into a mere fifteen minutes.

But then the philosopher raised a certain objection which Aristotle couldn't

answer. Confounded, Aristotle disappeared.

 

Then Plato appeared. The same thing happened again, and the philosophers'

objection to Plato was the same as his objection to Aristotle. Plato also

couldn't answer it and disappeared.

 

Then all the famous philosophers of history appeared one-by-one and our

philosopher refuted every one with the same objection.

 

After the last philosopher vanished, our philosopher said to himself, "I

know I'm asleep and dreaming all this. Yet I've found a universal refutation

for all philosophical systems! Tomorrow when I wake up, I will probably have

forgotten it, and the world will really miss something!" With an iron

effort, the philosopher forced himself to wake up, rush over to his desk,

and write down his universal refutation. Then he jumped back into bed with a

sigh of relief.

 

The next morning when he awoke, he went over to the desk to see what he had

written. It was, "That's what you say."

 

[From Raymond Smullyan, 5000 B.C. and Other Philosophical Fantasies. St.

Martin's Press, 1983]

 

 

 

--

Madhava K Turumella

IT Manager

FORSA gmbH

Max-Beer-Str.2

10119 Berlin

Germany

Telephone: +49-30-628 82-433 (Office)

Telephone: +49-1-7254-72-0-72 (Mobile)

Telefax: +49-30-628 82 444

email: madhava

[Guest guest]

And to extend the story,

 

the philosopher went and told this to another

philosopher-friend, "I have found the universal

philosophical refutation!". The friend replied,

"That's what you say." :-)

 

 

--- "Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava wrote:

> A Universal Philosophical Refutation

>

> A philosopher once had the following dream.

>

> First Aristotle appeared, and the philosopher said

> to him, "Could you give

> me a fifteen-minute capsule sketch of your entire

> philosophy?" To the

> philosopher's surprise, Aristotle gave him an

> excellent exposition in which

> he compressed an enormous amount of material into a

> mere fifteen minutes.

> But then the philosopher raised a certain objection

> which Aristotle couldn't

> answer. Confounded, Aristotle disappeared.

>

> Then Plato appeared. The same thing happened again,

> and the philosophers'

> objection to Plato was the same as his objection to

> Aristotle. Plato also

> couldn't answer it and disappeared.

>

> Then all the famous philosophers of history appeared

> one-by-one and our

> philosopher refuted every one with the same

> objection.

>

> After the last philosopher vanished, our philosopher

> said to himself, "I

> know I'm asleep and dreaming all this. Yet I've

> found a universal refutation

> for all philosophical systems! Tomorrow when I wake

> up, I will probably have

> forgotten it, and the world will really miss

> something!" With an iron

> effort, the philosopher forced himself to wake up,

> rush over to his desk,

> and write down his universal refutation. Then he

> jumped back into bed with a

> sigh of relief.

>

> The next morning when he awoke, he went over to the

> desk to see what he had

> written. It was, "That's what you say."

>

> [From Raymond Smullyan, 5000 B.C. and Other

> Philosophical Fantasies. St.

> Martin's Press, 1983]

>

>

>

> --

> Madhava K Turumella

> IT Manager

> FORSA gmbH

> Max-Beer-Str.2

> 10119 Berlin

> Germany

> Telephone: +49-30-628 82-433 (Office)

> Telephone: +49-1-7254-72-0-72 (Mobile)

> Telefax: +49-30-628 82 444

> email: madhava

>

 

 

 

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