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Date: | Mon, 8 Dec 1997 07:28:25 -0800 |
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On Sun, 7 Dec 1997, Bill Wilcox wrote:
> Mary wrote:
> > What is the paleo view of colonics ..
> Doesn't sound very paleolithic to me. How would a
> caveman do an enema?
This questions *BEGS* for about a million jokes. However,
it is often the type of answer one frequently gets in
response to a question regarding something that does not
fit into the ($NAKED && $POINTY_STICK) test.
The problem I have with this answer is the logical fallacy
it utilizes. It implies that *only* things that paleolithic
human *could* consume without technology are permitted.
Just because *all* things that were edible by p-human *are*
safe/healthy to eat, it does not mean that *all* things that
are safe/healthy to consume *are* things p-human would/could
consume.
If: X = the set of all things consumed by p-man.
Y = the set of all things safe/healthy to consume.
We will agree that all members of the set X *are* contained
within the set of Y. However, that does not logically mean,
imply, or even suggest that all members of Y *are* contained
in the set comprising X.
So logically, the only value of using the aforemention cave-
man answer is in *veryfying* something is OK for consumption.
It can never validly be used to prove or suggest that something
is *NOT* OK for consumption. Using it as your food guide
simply guarantees that are you are remaining within the set
of Y (since all X are in Y). However, it is and will always
be valid to ask if things that are not in X are in Y.
I apologize for the length of this - and I intend to flame no
one, but the "caveman" answer has always stuck in my craw.
It smacks of the kind of "because I told you so" answer I got
from educational figures who were not willing to do the
legwork to really know the answer to my question rather than
give me a quick answer that neither satisfied my curiosity nor
made me respect them. All I hope to come from this messages
is that we all *KNOW* the answer to the questions to which we
reply and only use the "caveman" answer when verifying
something *is* OK for consumption and not to prove something
*IS NOT*.
Regards,
Gene
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