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  1. Newsgroups: aus.general
  2. Path: sparky!uunet!utcsri!geac!uunet.ca!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!math.fu-berlin.de!fauern!LRZnews!regent!monu1.cc.monash.edu.au!monu6!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!metro!socs.uts.edu.au!dragon!osborn
  3. From: osborn@socs.uts.edu.au (Tom Osborn)
  4. Subject: Re: I think therfore I am...
  5. Message-ID: <osborn.721968541@dragon>
  6. Sender: news@socs.uts.edu.au
  7. Organization: Computing Sciences, Uni of Technology, Sydney.
  8. References: <1dvh92INNoeg@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> <9232000.12614@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> <9232116.17872@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>
  9. Distribution: aus
  10. Date: 17 Nov 92 02:49:01 GMT
  11. Lines: 13
  12.  
  13. ggr@nareen.acci.com.au (Greg Rose) writes:
  14.  
  15. >However, it does imply the contrapositive:
  16.  
  17. >    "I am not, I don't think"
  18.  
  19. There is a confusion in the logic. The existential assertion (_X exists, or 
  20. _X exists NOT), when instantiated by "I" (self-reference if over I saw one)
  21. is denied (paradoxically) by the consequence of a vacuous entity - "when I 
  22. am not, there is no me, so I can't satisfy any predicate". Therefore "I don't
  23. think" is false, although the contrapositive is OK (if read quickly enough).
  24.  
  25. Tomasso.
  26.