The Motorcycle Paradox

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Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 08:27 am
Since it is impossible to avoid one's motorcycle, since if one did so, it would not have been his motorcycle, how could I not own a motorcycle-which I clearly don't?
 
Theaetetus
 
Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 08:32 am
@Night Ripper,
Can I ask, what are you talking about? This doesn't make any sense and seems rather pointless. You don't have a motorcycle. Problem solved. In order to avoid your motorcycle, you would need own a motorcycle.
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 08:44 am
@Night Ripper,
Night Ripper;159563 wrote:
Since it is impossible to avoid one's motorcycle, since if one did so, it would not have been his motorcycle, how could I not own a motorcycle-which I clearly don't?


What does it mean "to avoid one's motorcycle"? Avoid being hit by it? What makes you think that is anything like, it is impossible to avoid one's fate, since if one could avoid it, it it would not be fate? There is no parallel that I can see. You can certainly avoid being hit by your motorcycle and it still be your motorcycle, since it is not part of the definition of "your motorcycle" that you cannot avoid being hit by it. But it is part of the definition of "your fate" that you cannot avoid it. See the difference?

I think you may believe that I am arguing that there are necessarily are some things that are fated for me. But I am not. What I am pointing out, however, it that necessarily, if some event is fated, it cannot be avoided. And that is clearly true. But, that does not imply that there are fated event, of course. Just as it is true that if I have a sister, then she is a child of my parents. But it does not follow from that, that I have a sister. I am sure you agree.
 
fast
 
Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 11:28 am
@Night Ripper,
[QUOTE=Night Ripper;159563]Since it is impossible to avoid one's motorcycle, since if one did so, it would not have been his motorcycle, how could I not own a motorcycle-which I clearly don't?[/QUOTE]

You can avoid your motorcycle after you purchase it. Not only that, you could conduct the transaction (the purchase) over the phone thereby avoiding it altogether. That way, you would never come into contact with it.

You could avoid ownership by refraining from making the purchase.

Is there a philosophical point to all this?
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 11:34 am
@fast,
fast;159592 wrote:


You can avoid your motorcycle after you purchase it. Not only that, you could conduct the transaction (the purchase) over the phone thereby avoiding it altogether. That way, you would never come into contact with it.

You could avoid ownership by refraining from making the purchase.

Is there a philosophical point to all this?


Yes, kind of:

I think you may believe that I am arguing that there are necessarily are some things that are fated for me. But I am not. What I am pointing out, however, it that necessarily, if some event is fated, it cannot be avoided. And that is clearly true. But, that does not imply that there are fated event, of course. Just as it is true that if I have a sister, then she is a child of my parents. But it does not follow from that, that I have a sister. I am sure you agree.

He, misunderstands. To put it nicely.
 
GoshisDead
 
Reply Mon 3 May, 2010 11:44 am
@kennethamy,
Maybe he wronged someone in a tragic Kawasaki carburator tuning incident when he was 11, in which a Santoria priestess' daughter got a screwdriver in the eye, spoiling her chances of winning the Little Miss Winnipeg tiara, for which she was a shoe in, after which the priestess cursed the Kawasaki to roam the earth following the man who put a screwdriver through her daughter's eye, eventually driving him insane enough to post on a forum.
 
HexHammer
 
Reply Tue 4 May, 2010 01:08 pm
@GoshisDead,
GoshisDead;159598 wrote:
Maybe he wronged someone in a tragic Kawasaki carburator tuning incident when he was 11, in which a Santoria priestess' daughter got a screwdriver in the eye, spoiling her chances of winning the Little Miss Winnipeg tiara, for which she was a shoe in, after which the priestess cursed the Kawasaki to roam the earth following the man who put a screwdriver through her daughter's eye, eventually driving him insane enough to post on a forum.
10/10!
Very poetic!
 
 

 
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