Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Logic by Combat

By Hanno

So I am in Logic, and two students differ about a problem. One thinks the problem is valid, the other invalid. Then it hits me: Let them fight it out! Instead of trial by combat, we can have Logic by Combat! And the best part is that we know God will be on the side of right. In the beginning was the word, and the word was God. But the 'word' in Greek was 'logos' the root of the English word logic. God was logic! With him on your side, you cannot lose!

Watching logic by combat should be far more interesting than doing truth tables, or proofs.

PS behind on my grading, hope to get my next Nietzsche piece this week, asap.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cupids arrows are MUCH more necessary than Apollo's. Just ask Daphne.

First pierce your student's hearts with Cupids arrows, and shun using those forged for either Apollo or Artemis until after the charm has set.

Exhort, exhort, exhort! Paeans to virtue and beauty. Forgoe contentious reasoning, for youth are naturally contentious!

Would you treat your students badly as Leto did the Lycian peasants?

Athens has already given spawn to far too many contentious reasoners of Euthydemus' school. You might confute poor Cleinias.

As Plato so sagely recommends in his Charmides... 'Let no one, however rich, or noble, or fair, persuade you to give him the cure, without the charm.' ;-)

Anonymous said...

Artemis, whose arrows are subject to the forces of Nature and "gravity", arc gracefully towards earth once their impelling forces are expended. Apollo, born on the floating island of Delos, whose arrows fly perfectly straight and true, always pierce his targets relative to Delos' anchorage.

All your contest will do is force its' participants to worship one or the other of these two gods. The same holds true for those who would presume to judge their efforts.

Only if the argument is approached dialectically, can a fair result be achieved. And short of Parmenides and Xeno, Socrates protagonists seldom gave him the coutesy of participation in an argument not preceeded with elenchus.

Anonymous said...

What I wouldn't give to have the ability to draw Odysseus' bow and wield Cupid's arrows....

Anonymous said...

I guess have to settle for Amphion's lyre. After all, even Orpeus could not refrain from a glancing back for Eurydice...

Anonymous said...

Spare my wife and the Niobids, children of Leto!

Forgive him Zeus, for he knows not what he does.

Anonymous said...

aw, sounds great.