If Animals Could Talk . . .
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,592
Likes: 0
From: Yorba Linda, CA
If Animals Could Talk . . .
A couple of days ago I found myself driving behind a minivan bearing a bumper sticker that read:
IF ANIMALS COULD TALK WE WOULD ALL BE VEGETARIANS
On the one hand, according to Aristotelian logic, this statement is true: it is an implication with a false premise (animals cannot talk), so it is true whether the conclusion is true or false. The printer of the bumper sticker could have had it conclude that "eating ice cream would help you lose weight" or "red lights mean 'GO' and green lights mean 'STOP'" or "credit cards are made from plastic" without changing the truth of the statement.
On the other hand, the conclusion is false. There are, for example, cannibals; their dinner fare can talk.
Apparently the printer of the bumper sticker and the person who plastered it onto the minivan believe that being omnivorous is wrong.
I wonder why. I also wonder why they would choose such a roundabout way of trying to express that sentiment.
IF ANIMALS COULD TALK WE WOULD ALL BE VEGETARIANS
On the one hand, according to Aristotelian logic, this statement is true: it is an implication with a false premise (animals cannot talk), so it is true whether the conclusion is true or false. The printer of the bumper sticker could have had it conclude that "eating ice cream would help you lose weight" or "red lights mean 'GO' and green lights mean 'STOP'" or "credit cards are made from plastic" without changing the truth of the statement.
On the other hand, the conclusion is false. There are, for example, cannibals; their dinner fare can talk.
Apparently the printer of the bumper sticker and the person who plastered it onto the minivan believe that being omnivorous is wrong.
I wonder why. I also wonder why they would choose such a roundabout way of trying to express that sentiment.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,592
Likes: 0
From: Yorba Linda, CA
Clearly it depends on whether the quantifier implied between "IF" and "ANIMALS" is existential or universal. I suspect that they intended the latter. I also suspect that they have no clue what a quantifier is.
Trending Topics
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 28
From: Longmont, CO
Heh. Animans CAN talk. They're called "humans." And for the most part, no, we don't eat them. So the bumper sticker is simply pointing out the obvious. 
Of course if by "animals" they meant, say, cows - well, that implies a level of intelligence that would likely include tool builting. Such as weapons. So any eating would likely escalate into an all-out war and possibly the destruction of both species.
Alternatively, if other animals were intelligent enough to talk, they would possibly be eating us.
Of course if by "animals" they meant, say, cows - well, that implies a level of intelligence that would likely include tool builting. Such as weapons. So any eating would likely escalate into an all-out war and possibly the destruction of both species.
Alternatively, if other animals were intelligent enough to talk, they would possibly be eating us.
