Re:What the Tortoise Said to Achilles (1895)
by PhasmaFelis on Saturday September 27, 2014 @04:42AM
(#8376488)
> Reading this story in Hofstadner's GEB destroyed my ability to accept mathematical proofs as "proven".
I'm not sure I understand why. If the tortoise had insisted that one plus one is three, would it have destroyed your ability to accept arithmetic?
I'm not sure what Carroll intended by this piece, but what I take from it is that there's no sense arguing with irrational people. One can certainly claim to accept A, and accept if-A-then-B, but deny B; one can also claim that up is down and the sky is candy-striped.
I'm not sure I understand why. If the tortoise had insisted that one plus one is three, would it have destroyed your ability to accept arithmetic?
I'm not sure what Carroll intended by this piece, but what I take from it is that there's no sense arguing with irrational people. One can certainly claim to accept A, and accept if-A-then-B, but deny B; one can also claim that up is down and the sky is candy-striped.