The following example in Predicate Logic is based on the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975). Here is an excerpt of the script for scene #5:
CROWD: Burn her! Burn! Burn her! Burn her!
BEDEVERE: How do you know she is a witch?
VILLAGER #2: She looks like one.
CROWD: Right! Yeah! Yeah!
BEDEVERE: Bring her forward.
WITCH: I'm not a witch. I'm not a witch.
…
BEDEVERE: What makes you think she is a witch?
VILLAGER #3: Well, she turned me into a newt.
BEDEVERE: A newt?
VILLAGER #3: I got better.
VILLAGER #2: Burn her anyway!
VILLAGER #1: Burn!
CROWD: Burn her! Burn! Burn her!...
BEDEVERE: Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet! There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
VILLAGER #1: Are there?
VILLAGER #2: Ah?
VILLAGER #1: What are they?
CROWD: Tell us! Tell us!...
BEDEVERE: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
VILLAGER #2: Burn!
VILLAGER #1: Burn!
CROWD: Burn! Burn them up! Burn!...
BEDEVERE: And what do you burn apart from witches?
VILLAGER #1: More witches!
VILLAGER #3: Shh!
VILLAGER #2: Wood!
BEDEVERE: So, why do witches burn?
[pause]
VILLAGER #3: B--... 'cause they're made of... wood?
BEDEVERE: Good! Heh heh.
CROWD: Oh, yeah. Oh.
BEDEVERE: So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood?
VILLAGER #1: Build a bridge out of her.
BEDEVERE: Ah, but can you not also make bridges out of stone?
VILLAGER #1: Oh, yeah.
RANDOM: Oh, yeah. True. Uhh...
BEDEVERE: Does wood sink in water?
VILLAGER #1: No. No.
VILLAGER #2: No, it floats! It floats!
VILLAGER #1: Throw her into the pond!
CROWD: The pond! Throw her into the pond!
BEDEVERE: What also floats in water?
…
ARTHUR: A duck!
CROWD: Oooh.
BEDEVERE: Exactly. So, logically...
VILLAGER #1: If... she... weighs... the same as a duck,... she's made of wood.
BEDEVERE: And therefore?
VILLAGER #2: A witch!
VILLAGER #1: A witch!
CROWD: A witch! A witch!...
VILLAGER #4: Here is a duck. Use this duck.
[quack quack quack]
BEDEVERE: Very good. We shall use my largest scales.
CROWD: Ohh! Ohh! Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Ahh! Ahh...
BEDEVERE: Right. Remove the supports!
[whop]
[clunk]
[creak]
CROWD: A witch! A witch! A witch!
WITCH: It's a fair cop.
VILLAGER #3: Burn her!
CROWD: Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn! Burn!...
BEDEVERE: Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?
ARTHUR: I am Arthur, King of the Britons.
BEDEVERE: My liege!
ARTHUR: Good Sir Knight, will you come with me to Camelot and join us at the Round Table?
BEDEVERE: My liege! I would be honored.
ARTHUR: What is your name?
BEDEVERE: 'Bedevere', my liege.
ARTHUR: Then I dub you 'Sir Bedevere, Knight of the Round Table'.
Here is the logic:
(Note: Polly is the character name of the actress, who played the witch, in another TV show)
Experiment: 
Since 
Since 
Since 
So it is actually logically correct.
( Thanks to Prof. Leen-Kiat Soh for the proof - originally for his course "Introduction to Discrete Structures".)
If you guys are interested, check out Gary L. Hardcastle's article, "Themes in Contemporary Analytic Philosophy as Reflected in the Work of Monty Python."
C.
1 comment:
Hi, so... I totally lost your e-mail address and couldn't figure out another way to contact you. Apparently, other tutorials are extending the deadline to Thursday and I was wondering if that was applicable for us?
"The DUEDATE has seems like it has been extended in other tutorial sections. In fairness to all of you, I will ask that you submit your papers in tutorial on Wednesday or on Thursday before or immediately after lecture. If you can not submit it at one of these times, you may drop your essay off at the Front Desk of Innis Residence (111 St. George). You must hand it to the staff and give him or her my name. They date stamp everything that is received. If you require an extension, please contact me by Sunday at the latest.The late penalty is a grade increment per day - so don't hand them in late!"
Just a little curious about the due date, as that would help me plan out my work schedule for my other essays...
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