From: maedhros@yabbs
To: Xela@yabbs
Subject: re: Weasels and other pests....
Date: Fri Jun 24 00:11:41 1994

In message Weasels and other pests...., Xela said:
> {Wrong again, but if you think so, describe how u thing they conflict.}
> 
> You claimed you haden't labeled me an anti-semite by agreeing with 
> Maedhros, but before that you said that I, including the rest of the human 
> race, was a bigot.  No contradiction?

Sorry Xela.  Have to jump in again.  Their is a flaw in your reasoning I
must point out.  Hopefully it'll clear up why you and arachnoi are not
agreeing on this point though.

In essence you've taken arachnoi's argument-

Nazi's are anti-semites. => Nazi's are bigots.

and assumed the inverse is true-

You are a bigot. => You are an anti-semite.

You've taken a conditional sentence, reversed the antecedent and
consequence and assumed that the inverse is true.

Logically, however, this is incorrect.  The only correct method 
available for reversing a conditional statement is by replacing the
propositions with their denials.  Or, assuming the contrapositive of the
conditional statement.

i.e. the only other statement which is true is:

~(You are a bigot) => ~(You are an anti-semite)

or 

You are not a bigot => You are not an anti-semite.

The structure is (p=>q)=(~q=>~p).

Plug some other propositions in and it'll look clear if it doesn't already.

Maedhros /\
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