Re: Ancient Premise

[Karl Trappe <trappe@PHYSICS.UTEXAS.EDU>]

Does anyone know the resource for this ancient premise.  I learned it in a
high school symbolic logic class.  I have also observed the side effects of
starting with it as an assumption in dealings between co-workers, ie,
looking for the false premise in order to disagree with all which followed.
I found that to be very damaging to constructive interactions, or even to
just *hearing* the other person.

When Sheila Tobias visited the University of Texas at Austin, and spoke on
"They're not dumb, they're different", many of my colleagues looked for the
false premise and never heard the message.  I'd like to revisit the context
of the quote, as it may explain a lot of our social interactions (or lack
thereof) as scientists.    Karl

> That's like asking
>  "Suppose I sprint across the town square in a town that
>   doesn't have a town square;  will I get tired?"
> or
>  "Suppose 2 = 3;  Does that mean that 4 = 5?"
>
> The answer is anything you want it to be.  There is an ancient principle of
> logic that says if you start from a false premise, you can prove anything
> you want to.
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> copyright (C) 1999 John S. Denker             jsd@monmouth.com

Dr. Karl I. Trappe                              Desk Phone:  (512) 471-4152
Physics Dept, Mail Stop C-1600                  Demo Office: (512) 471-5411
The University of Texas at Austin               Home Phone:  (512) 264-1616
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