Self-education

I need to start reading again. Not just satires or novels, but works that legitimately stimulate my mind. I'm tired of wasting away the chance to grow intellectually. Isn't that the point of education? Especially at the undergraduate level students should realize that they really don't know that much and to start taking responsibility for their self-education. Just cramming the pieces that teachers pick isn't enough.

Right now, I'm jumping straight into the fire with 5000 B.C. and other Philosophical Fantasies by Raymond Smullyan.



The philosopher Jaako Hintikka makes the delightful argument that one is morally obligated not to do anything impossible. The argument, which ultimately rests on the fact that a false proposition implies any proposition, is this: Suppose Act A is such that it's impossible to perform without destroying the human race. Then surely one is morally obligated not to perform this act. Well, if Act A is an impossible act, then it is indeed impossible to perform it without destroying the human race (since it's impossible to perform it at all!), and therefore one is morally obligated not to perform the act.

But does not the following argument (sic!) show that one is morally obligated to do everything impossible?

Suppose that Act B is such that if one performs it, then the human race will be saved from destruction. Isn't one then morally obligated to perform the act? Now suppose that Act B is impossible to perform. Then it is the case that if one performs Act B, the human race will be saved, because it's false that one will perform this impossible act and a false proposition implies anything. One is therefore morally obligated to perform every impossible act.

R. Smullyan, 5000 B.C. and Other Philosophical Fantasies, (St. Martin's Press, NY, 1983):41-42.



Speaking of fire, I hope my hand doesn't scar. I had a pretty bad back-draft throw burning ash on my first two fingers, thumb, and left half of the back of my right hand. Here's a picture that's from a few days later so it's starting to heal.



Stupid charcoal grills.