Speaker Will Aitken

Tue, Jul 2nd 2019 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Reception - Gordon Rhind
Menu Choice - Marilyn Rowan Rhind


                                             


Philosophical Paradox


What is the percentage possibility of a collective groan from 20 people in the same room?

Answer is 100% - if the evening’s speaker Will Aitken poses yet another question on the subject of “Philosophical Paradox”……

Not to put too fine a point on it, but an audience consisting of relatively intelligent folks was struggling to comprehend much of Will’s presentation. Confusing, too, as we learned that the Theory of Relativity doesn’t mean you suddenly find your uncle sitting next to you.

With the aid of a video show, Will made a pretty good fist of explaining some of the mathematical and psychological posers set by the likes of Plato and Aristotle. Mostly mathematical complications which a simple wordsmith such as myself is totally unable to understand.

Then we move on to the difficult stuff, such as “Zeno’s Dichotomy Paradox”. (With me so far?)

Easy answer to that one appears to be that if some birds – ravens in particular – are all coloured black, then all non-black things are not ravens. This paradox on ravens is therefore a warning against generalisation in any sphere of thought or activity.

Of course, the audience had then to get their heads round “The Barber Paradox”. It would appear this theorises that if the barber shaves and gives his customers a haircut, who shaves the barber? Maybe it was another barber, who just happened to be visiting the village. Anyway, next time you go for a haircut, don’t mention this to your barber who has a razor in his hand. It could end in disaster….

Many other paradoxes were thrown into the mix by Will. For example, if “Washington’s Axe” has had two new heads and three new handles, is it still the same axe? Or that the present does not exist. Explained thus – the present has no time. It lasts for no time at all. Ergo – it has never existed and never can.

Contradictions are in our minds and language constantly. In one sentence a woman could say of her husband “I love him” – but “he drives me crazy”. Or as members of Kilrymont Rotary were minded to say – “We like Will Aitken, but he’s driving us crazy”.

In attempting to wind up the meeting – bearing in mind that Will had wound up all of us – President John Fernie spoke for the assembled company by saying “I am gobsmacked.”

Gordon Rhind echoed that sentiment in his vote of thanks, saying “I am mind-blown”.

As a finale, Will had posed the question of percentages of two or more people in a group sharing the same birthday. Guess what? Of the 20 people in attendance, Kyffin Roberts and Ewen Allan both have their birthday on June 28.

Go figure….

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