Proving We Are All Goats: A Logical Argument

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a logical argument asserting that "Everything is a Goat," exploring the implications of propositional logic and its application to this claim. Participants engage with the foundational premises of knowledge and its relationship to earning potential, as well as the validity of logical reasoning in the context of the argument presented.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes that knowledge acts as a brake on earning potential, suggesting a mathematical relationship where less knowledge correlates with more money.
  • The initial claim that "Everything is a Goat" is presented as a logical proposition, with the argument that if this statement is false, its opposite must be true, leading to the conclusion that the original statement is true.
  • Another participant challenges the assertion that the opposite of a false statement must be true, indicating a disagreement with the logical reasoning presented.
  • A later reply affirms the use of propositional logic but acknowledges the challenge posed by another participant.
  • Some participants express skepticism about engaging with the original poster's arguments, suggesting a perception of irrationality in the reasoning presented.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit disagreement regarding the application of propositional logic and the validity of the original argument. There is no consensus on the correctness of the reasoning or the implications of the claims made.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about propositional logic that may not be universally accepted. The mathematical relationship proposed regarding knowledge and earning potential is not fully explored or validated within the conversation.

jimmy p
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Why Bother?

Throughout the ages many have suspected that there's no point in learning anything. Now, however, we have evidence that this is true! At least it transpires that knowledge acts as a brake on an individual's earning potential. This theorem (the more you know the less you earn) can be supported by a mathematical equation based on the following two postulates:

Postulate 1: Knowledge is power

Postulate 2: Time is money

As every engineer knows: Power=Work/Time

Since: Knowledge=Power

and: Time=Money

by substitution we have: Knowledge=Work/Money

Solving for Money, we get: Money=Work/Knowledge

Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity, regardless of the amount of work done.

CONCLUSION: The less you know, the more you make.


and how about one to prove that we are all goats

The Logical Proof

The proposition "Everything is a Goat" is either true or not true.
If it is false, then it's opposite must be true.
The opposite of "everything" is "nothing", which give us the proposition "Nothing is a Goat".*
Now, this statement is clearly false, for goats certainly exist - we have all seen them. This means that it's opposite must be true.
Therefore, "Everything is a Goat" must be a true statement.

PS. This relies on propositional logic eg. any statement is either true or false and if proven false, then the opposite statement must be true, for example, the statement "It is raining outside", either it is or it is not.

Makes you think huh?
 
Last edited:
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Originally posted by jimmy p
This means that it's opposite must be true.
no it doesn't.
 
We are using propositional logic according to which the opposite of a false statement is a true one and vice versa :smile:
 
Dont try and have a discussion with him jimmy, he's nuts.
 
Originally posted by Andy
Dont try and have a discussion with him jimmy, he's nuts.
??
 
Originally posted by jimmy p
We are using propositional logic according to which the opposite of a false statement is a true one and vice versa :smile:

point taken :)
 

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