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Aristotle's law petition confounds blase Berkeley
The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Tuesday, August 13, 2002 | Meredith May

Posted on 08/13/2002 8:45:51 AM PDT by Revolting cat!

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:40:44 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Berkeley, the first city to ban Styrofoam and wood-fired pizza ovens, could become the first to enact Aristotle's ancient law of logic -- that every entity is equal to itself. In a philosophical effort to come up with a city law that no one could ever break, conceptual artist Jonathon Keats wants Berkeley to legally acknowledge Aristotle's law, commonly expressed as A=A.


(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: California
KEYWORDS: aristotle; berkeley; performanceart
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Finally, some sense and wisdom out of Berkeley.
1 posted on 08/13/2002 8:45:51 AM PDT by Revolting cat!
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To: Revolting cat!
More people need to read Ayn Rand. The A = A formulation is central to Atlas Shrugged. It refers to the fact that truth can be known objectively.

It is true to say that "a lying politician" is "a lying politician". It is false to say that "a lying politician" is "a good person who wants to help children".

While both statements might be true, they are in no way equivalent (no more moral equivalence).

2 posted on 08/13/2002 8:51:58 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: Revolting cat!
A communist is a communist?
3 posted on 08/13/2002 8:54:17 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: Revolting cat!
The Bankers will never accept it.

With Bankers, today is not today. After 2:00pm today is tomorrow. They cheat you out of 3 hours today by placing it in tomorrow.

4 posted on 08/13/2002 8:59:30 AM PDT by bert
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To: Revolting cat!
The nose of the objectivist camel under the tent of irrationality. Cool!
5 posted on 08/13/2002 9:01:27 AM PDT by LouD
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To: Revolting cat!
It's been too long since I read "the speech" in Atlas Shrugged. But if A=A, doesn't Liberal=Idiot?
6 posted on 08/13/2002 9:06:59 AM PDT by narby
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To: Revolting cat!
More plainly put, it means a table is a table. A blade of grass is a blade of grass.

It all depends on what the definition of "is" is.

7 posted on 08/13/2002 9:07:07 AM PDT by Fraulein
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To: Revolting cat!
"I think A=A is a basic truism..."

Sigh.

8 posted on 08/13/2002 9:09:13 AM PDT by DAnconia55
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To: Revolting cat!
The Mexicans illegals who gather in the morning at the corner of Hearst and 4th Streets in Berkeley looking for day jobs will never accept it. Manana is, oh, whenever...
9 posted on 08/13/2002 9:14:56 AM PDT by Revolting cat!
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To: Revolting cat!
Michelle Grisat, who has a doctorate in philosophy, signed. "I think A=A is a basic truism, and it's interesting to have him out here arguing with people."

The funniest line in the whole thing.

10 posted on 08/13/2002 9:17:25 AM PDT by Dr. Frank fan
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To: Revolting cat!
This isn't a 'law'; it's an axiom.
11 posted on 08/13/2002 9:28:31 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko
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To: ClearCase_guy
It turns out that one of the most subversive things you can do to a post-modern civilization is to "legally acknowledge Aristotle's law, commonly expressed as A=A." Go figure! Let's see how this thing plays out...
12 posted on 08/13/2002 9:30:47 AM PDT by Revolting cat!
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To: ClearCase_guy
Ayn Rand sucks.
13 posted on 08/13/2002 10:13:52 AM PDT by That Subliminal Kid
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To: Revolting cat!
What's this? I thought Berkeley was declared a logic-free zone years ago?
14 posted on 08/13/2002 10:17:19 AM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker
Well, note the dude is from San Francisco. (There is a Jesuit university there, University of San Francisco.)
15 posted on 08/13/2002 10:21:20 AM PDT by Revolting cat!
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To: Revolting cat!
Mayor Shirley Dean was dumbfounded. "I haven't a clue what that means," Dean said of Keats' proposition.

So the mayor admits he doesn't understand basic logic.
16 posted on 08/13/2002 10:27:12 AM PDT by Frumious Bandersnatch
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To: Revolting cat!
Its nice to see the principle of non-contradiction getting some face time.

"A=A" is a good thing.

17 posted on 08/13/2002 10:30:25 AM PDT by diotima
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To: diotima
AA is a good thing if you're on the ground.
AA is a bad thing if you're in the air.
18 posted on 08/13/2002 10:33:56 AM PDT by tet68
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To: That Subliminal Kid
Ayn Rand sucks.

Nice argument. Very cogent.

19 posted on 08/13/2002 10:40:54 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: That Subliminal Kid
Ayn Rand sucks.

You are confusing being with doing.
What Ayn Rand does is not identical
what objectivism is, notwithstanding
Frank Sinatra felt that to do is to be,
and to be is to do, leading to his
infamous "do be, do be, do."

20 posted on 08/13/2002 11:24:37 AM PDT by gcruse
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