At the Philosophical Saloon

[Guest guest]

" Bartender Solipsism on the rocks

with a twist of amnesia, please! "

 

" Do you want the Epistemological brand,

or the Metaphysical bran, sir? "

 

" Metaphysical, please, I had a rough

day. I'm in no mood for inquiries into

philosophical constructions a la

" Cogito ergo sum. I want to be alone,

complete solitude. "

 

" Very well, sir, here is the bottle.

As you can see it's a bit dusty, not

in great demand nowadays. "

 

" May I read the label? "

 

" Certainly! "

 

" Let me see! It says, 'the self is

the whole of reality, and that the

external world and other persons

are representations of that self

having no independent existence.'

Yes, that's the one. Pour me a

drink. "

 

" But, sir, If you are here alone,

and I don't exist, how can I pour

a drink? "

 

" Aha! That's why I asked for

it on the rocks, and with a twist

of amnesia. "

 

" What difference would that make? "

 

" Quite a bit, you see, if I had

asked for it straight up, then

I would have been here all by

myself. But on the rocks with a

twist of amnesia, I'm here twice,

as myself and as you, but not

knowing you are me. "

 

" I don't follow, sir. "

 

" It's very simple. Have you heard

of multiple personality cases? "

 

" Like the movie Sybil, you mean? "

 

" Exactly. I'm everyone in the

world, including you. But while

being you, I don't remember being

anyone else. It's not exactly

like the movie because this is

happening simultaneously. I can

see myself being you, and still

don't recognize you as myself. "

 

" I don't quite get it, but if you

said so, I 'll play alone. "

 

" Never mind. fix my drink!

 

" Hmm! Pretty good drink, Sir! "

 

" Hey, you took a big gulp of

my drink! "

 

" Not at all, Sir. You did. You

just don't remember. "