[lit-ideas] Re: Reason (was Faith)
- From: Robert Paul <robert.paul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 12:34:41 -0700
Mirembe Nantongo wrote:
> Heh heh heh. Very true. What Professor Paul neglects to mention, of course,
> is that the said sending down was the culmination of a glorious and
> resoundingly successful Resistance operation, one that resulted in the
> ignominious closure of the 2001 Mutton College Logic Camp for that year and
> its failure to reopen since. Here is the complete story:
>
> A group of gallant Resistance workers dedicated to the overthrow of the
> tyranny of Reason infiltrated the 2001 Mutton College Logic Camp disguised
> as establishment apparatchiks. Armed to the teeth with 70 different logical
> fallacies and sickeningly pious reasonable demeanors, we spread out among
> the reactionary ranks of genuine camp participants, casting doubt on others'
> arguments and aspersions on others' commitment to Reason and saying "Is your
> position quite logical, dear?" to our spouses instead of hurling a wet
> dishcloth at them as they deserve. Once our position in camp was secure, we
> proceeded to sabotage camp proceedings by disseminating forged arguments
> that were perfectly illogical and made complete sense, causing severe
> emotional and intellectual upheaval among camp participants (many of whom, I
> am proud to say, have since joined the noble ranks of the Resistance) and
> forcing the camp to shut down for the year and ever since. Glory, glory,
> glory!
It is in the nature of all radical movements to present themselves as
having, through their ingenuity, persistence and zeal, changed the
course of history, so that we hear children who have passed themselves
off as but ten when they are in fact twelve—thus bilking the Multiplex
out of a dime—boasting of having brought Capitalism to its knees, and
fare evaders on the Métro, exulting in having beaten 'le système.' Alas,
so it is here. Ms. Nantongo, no doubt recalling, as in a dream, her
heady student days would have us believe that by scribbling a few
slogans (example: 'Aristotle hit the bottle') on the steps of Frege
Hall, she and her fellow 'revolutionists' sowed such confusion and
disorder at the 2001 MCLC, that logic (and Mutton College) have never
recovered. That this is immeasurably far from the truth should be
evident, so evident in fact that readers of Rolling Stone magazine will
recognize what Ms. Nantongo describes as 'severe emotional and
intellectual upheaval' as mere 'mild amusement' on the part of 'genuine
camp participants.' [Rolling Stone, 'Logic Pranks,' by Fania Pascal,
August, 2001]
As for camp participants having 'since joined the noble ranks of the
Resistance,' she must have in mind the unfortunate Alf Tannenbaum, who
attended the 2001 MCLC for two weeks under the impression that it was
Spring training for the Wisconsin Salamanders Triple-A baseball club.
That Mr. Tannenbaum left MCLC on the same bus as did Ms. Nantongo and
her fellow pranksters was coincidence, no more.
Finally, although it is true that MCLC has been closed since 2001 (we
had been having a bit of difficulty with the EPA; something about the
drains), I'm pleased to announce that registration for the 2006 session
are now being accepted.
Sincerely,
Franz Brentano
Department of Public Affairs
Mutton College
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