Monday, February 1, 2010

Cathcart & Klein's "Plato and a Playtpus Walk Into a Bar..."


This is a fun read. It isn't a serious book to teach philosophy, but it does introduce concepts. Unfortunately, you really should know some philosophy in order to enjoy the material in this book. The jokes are the fun part. The philosophical bits are done tongue in cheek.

It has bon mots such as:
A sadist is a masochist who follows the Golden Rule.
to illustrate the differeince between the Categorical Imperative and the Golden Rule.

Here's an example of a joke used to illustrate logic and argument from analogy:
Three engineering students are discussing what sort of God must have designed the human body. The first says, "God must be a mechanical engineer. Look at all the joints."

The second says, "I think God must be an electrical engineer. The nervous system has thousands of electrical connections."

The third says, "Actually God is a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"
The following illustrates how deductive logic can go awry if you start with a false premise:
An old cowboy goes into a bar and orders a drink. As he sits there sipping his whiskey, a young lady sits down next to him. She turns to the cowboy and asks him, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replies, "Well, I've spent my whole life on the ranch, herding horses, mending fences, and branding cattle, so I guess I am."

She says, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. When I shower or watch TV, everything seems to make me think of women."

A little while later a couple sits down next to the old cowboy and asks him, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replies, "I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian."
And here is a joke from the theology section to illustrate the doctrine of Immaculate Conception:
Jesus was walking through the streets when he noticed a crowd of people throwing stones at an adulteress. Jesus said, "Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone." Suddenly a rock flew through the air. Jesus turned and said, "Mom?"

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