|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Jan 22nd, 2007 - 06:40:44
|
|
Vulcans, Logic, and Bendii Syndrome
By Tim Slekar, Antis Twp, PA
Jan 22, 2007, 06:39
How is it possible to detect logic gone bad? Well, for Star Trek fans, the answer is when a Vulcan comes down with Bendii Syndrome. This horrible disease causes Vulcans to become subject to irrational emotional responses. In fact, in one The Next Generation (TNG) episode, Sarek (Spock's father) is stricken with the disease, and when confronted with the fact that he is being emotional Sarek is instantly reduced to a wailing, dribbling man, screaming, "It's Illogical, It's Illogical, It's Illogical." It was sad to watch even though it was one of the greatest performances in televised science fiction history.
However, it's even more troubling when a human outside the confines of science fiction contracts Bendii Syndrome. Who you might ask has fallen victim to such a horrible affliction? Look no further than my esteemed colleagues latest post on WRTA.com (http://www.wrtanews.com/artman/publish/article_5916.shtml).
In this supposed rebuttal he claims to use logic to refute my position on public and private schools. But, in claiming to use logic Dr. McGinnis demonstrates his advanced progression of Bendii Syndrome. Just because something exists does not make it superior-and making this claim actually abandons any sense of how to apply logic. According to another colleague (a mathematician specializing in logic) using logic to make quality claims is inappropriate and not really logic at all. Dr. McGinnis, at a minimum would at least have to make some assumptions (publicly), and then prove the factuality of those assumptions before moving onto quality claims that were deduced through the application of logic.
A much more efficient way to tackle issues concerning quality is to gather data and design a system to analyze that data. Of course this is also problematic because systems designed to analyze data are prone to bias and a whole host of human fallibilities. But at least it relies on data and is immune to Bendii Syndrome because the system exists in reality and can be constantly scrutinized. I knew there was a reason a admired Lt. Commander Data more than Mr. Spock.
Email this article
Printer friendly page
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|