Go Ahead. Prove Me Wrong!

 Everything in the world is either a banana, or it is NOT a banana.

This one is from many, many moons ago when I was first introduced to the study of logic in a first year uni philosophy class.  It was the first time that I understood that education wasn't to teach one facts, 'ology's or 'ism's, but that it was to teach us how to think.  I learned thinking wasn't just whatever random zots passed through my brain, but that thinking as a discipline required some training in the methodology of logical progression, argument, and construction.


I also learned over the years that you cannot use logic when dealing with irrational people, non-thinkers, emoters, or people who use the verb 'to feel' as a synonym of 'to think'.  

" I feel that the fixed link bridge to the mainland will cause great hardship to the lesser -striped dung beetle."

Do you 'feel' that this is so?  Or, do you, as a result of reading documentation, factual reports, and scientific journals, THINK that this is so?  If this is what you feel then I am not in the slightest bit interested, heretical though this may be in this age of touchy-feely.  If you have actually thought it through (and are not just gushing forth with a sound-byte from a television interview) then I am happy to hear you out and if what you say has merit, I will adjust my own thinking accordingly.  See the difference?

Let's go back to that banana.  I have introduced this many times as a topic of argument, and been amused at how many people just 'feel' that this is incorrect although there is no way to argue it successfully.  

" But what if it's a chair? "

" Then it isn't a banana is it? "

" Okay but if it's a plantain, it is pretty much a banana. "

" Yet it is NOT a banana."

" Okay, what about if it is in a fruit bowl?"

" Then it is a banana in a bowl of fruit.  You are a moron."

It is simple, elegant, beautiful, and obvious, therefore emoters and feelers really hate it.

Do I have feelings?  You bet I do.  However, those 'feelings' should not colour or bias my logical thought processes, but only my emotional processes.  I can have feelings about the results of logical thought though.

We're next !

After giving it some hard thought I have come to the conclusion that western civilization because of its addiction to hedonistic pleasure, lack of personal responsibility, uncaring taking of innocent life, and relentless drive to accumulate more and more stuff, is going to implode and collapse like all of the mighty empires of history.

This makes me feel quite depressed indeed. I think I had better go and get some ice cream.