Roderick Wrong
Well, I've caught out Roderick Long, one of my favorite philosophers, erring again, here, where he examines immortal lines:
Salaga-doola
mechicka-boola
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put ’em together
and what have you got?
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
He contends that the only magical phrase in the bunch that can have meaning is "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo," since the "salaga-doola" + "mechicka-boola" + "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" = "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."
He has ignored the possibility that "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" has infinite semantic value, so that, just as 4 + 5 + infinity = infinity, adding two other meaningful phrases to "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" still yields "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."
There, I've run rings round him logically.
Salaga-doola
mechicka-boola
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put ’em together
and what have you got?
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
He contends that the only magical phrase in the bunch that can have meaning is "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo," since the "salaga-doola" + "mechicka-boola" + "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" = "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."
He has ignored the possibility that "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" has infinite semantic value, so that, just as 4 + 5 + infinity = infinity, adding two other meaningful phrases to "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" still yields "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."
There, I've run rings round him logically.
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