Logical reasoning and scientific spirit: from the "Russell is the Pope," says open to

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Britain had a university, he thin face, his eyes gentle and wise, often carrying his pipe with one gentleman in the cold view of the world, in philosophy, mathematics, logic and other disciplines are brilliant achievements, has received logicism banner won the Nobel Prize in Literature, yes - this man was Bertrand Russell. It is said that one day, someone came ask for advice, said: "Since the President that the 'false proposition can launch any proposition', then you can from '2 +2 = 5 'launch' Russell Pope 'it?" Russell surprised, then smile, said: "Well, let me derive this."

If the "2 +2 = 5" or 4 = 5, then the transposition method available, according to 5 = 4, then such amount minus the same amount, according to its poor will, etc., available on both sides of the same minus 3 2 = 1. Well, Russell and the Pope is 2, but since 2 = 1, then Russell is the one with the Pope, and the "Russell is the Pope." This completes the proof.

Russell eyes narrowed, shrugged, spread his hands, showing consistent and some humor.

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Everyone knows that "Russell is the Pope" is a false proposition. In fact, according to Russell's ideas, from "2 = 1" cut into the derivation can be done as follows: red and green is 2, yellow is 1, since 2 = 1, then the "red + green = yellow." This is precisely the chromaticity of the true proposition. Similar to the specific truth, a false proposition, it seems that many can identify, but no matter how their brains, it is difficult from the "2 +2 = 5" launch a false proposition that "Russell is Maya," the false proposition, or " Russell is the fourth 80-year-old married a young wife, "the true proposition. That is to say: the instructions from a specific thing "false propositions" (such as "2 +2 = 5"), does not indicate specific things can be introduced to all propositions that "any proposition," but just follow the rules of correct reasoning derived (such as Russell, as above), the inevitable "yes" or "presence" indicates the specific things "false proposition" or "true proposition" can be launched. This is enough.

Any discipline has its relative scope of the study. Various disciplines like the railway police, the pipe section. People understand the real world and determine the specific is true, then up to the number of subjects to study. From the highest level of sense, what is true and false? How to recognize people, caught and tested true and false? That is the philosophy of the task. Logic is followed, after the subjects of philosophy, but philosophy as it is no longer true and false propositions say the root causes and context, but the most direct and simple to grasp abstract "truth" and "false" itself, and only being limited space to discuss two values ​​true and false do not indicate any specific thing, the most general "proposition" itself, this "proposition" is only the abstract alone was even a "space" (anyone can fill in, as "propositional variables"), then simply use the algebraic notation (eg, p, q, etc.) to express. This abstract is too important. Highly abstract geometry that logic can be used as point, line, surface, space, form and structure of the body, as clear and concise manner to study the structure of human thinking in the form of propositions and a variety of complex reasoning problems.

Therefore, the person who referred to Russell's door ask for advice "false propositions can launch any proposition," where the "false proposition" is not instruction in the logic of the specific things (such as "2 +2 = 5", etc.) of the proposition, but only the most general sense of "false proposition" itself; here, "any proposition" in the logic also does not indicate the specific things (such as "Russell is the Pope") of the proposition, but only "true or false" binary space in the second election, "any proposition" only. Because of this research in a way transcend the specific things, therefore, to some extent also it is a super experience, pure research. Say that the most important writer of the specific emotional and intuitive expression. Early years of the famous British writer Oscar Wilde Austrian philosophical meaning in the experience of 'true', said: "Some people really downgraded the fact that total. True if they become facts, they lose all rational value." As a "guest philosopher "Wilde too talented!

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The key part is the reasoning, "according to inference rules" work, as long as the rules here, even from the "false proposition," starting (from the "true proposition," starting the boosting of words) of reasoning, logic should be singing the song "Red Sorghum ":" sister wow you boldly go forward, go forward! "

We know, indicate the specific proposition of things, its "true" and "false", both in space and time with a relative, is relative in the absolute. Some people think that makeup is beautiful, but it was met quickly escape. Chuang Tzu said, "getting behind a right and wrong, He is also a non-" is the theory. Einstein's theory of relativity in Newtonian classical mechanics proposition is wrong, false, but close to the speed of light in space is absolutely true. For a long time, the theory of relativity was not only academic contempt, but authorities on Einstein as "heresy" crime sentence "must twist" so that in the pursuit of his live. Unexpectedly, the theory of relativity later became the boundary line of modern physics!

Another example. "Can do a point outside a straight line, and can only do a straight line parallel to", which is Euclidean geometry in the fifth postulate. From ancient Greece until the 19th century, Euclidean geometry is almost "biblical math" Who can say "no"? But in the 19th century, Russia has appeared a man named Lobachevsky who put forward the ground-breaking "point outside a straight line can do at least two lines parallel to" the proposition that the "biblical math" of course, is absurd. Roche had wanted from the "false proposition," starting with the other axioms of Euclidean geometry postulate, to see whether to derive a logical contradiction, in order to disprove the fifth postulate is independent and not the original card.

His derivation of the system despite the difficult and reasoning in strict accordance with the rules, despite the continued emergence of unusual, strange new proposition, but the total did not appear he was looking for a logical contradiction. It shocked him that he might step into another possible world. He has published related papers, and carefully called "imaginary geometry." Erupted to "blow the nest", the academic to him as a madman, pundits rushed author insulted him "to think of black and white, the circle of the imagination prescription," and even then the leading international high-math master Sri Lanka also publicly silent, did not support the results of Lobachevsky. Professor Roche lost jobs, lost Kazan University office, anxious eyes blind, 64-year-old dies eventually. Roche's death until 12 years, his theory was only proved to be true of international scholars is no conflict of "non-Euclidean geometry", geometry of space that is outside the European human is still unknown at that time a new geometric space. Sure enough, in modern aerospace science, the traditional European-style beak geometry no facilities, only non-Euclidean geometry to show their talents, people and reputation Lobachevsky as "geometry of Copernicus."

Is non-Euclidean geometry to head it? Is there room for more people to find and shape to be explored? Science really need the kind of Lobachevsky, "think of the black and white, the prescription of the circle of the imagination," the spirit of bold assumption, careful gathering of evidence, not afraid to make mistakes, feeling the stones. Engels said: "As long as the ideology of natural science, its development is a form of hypothesis." ("Dialectics of Nature") only from the sense, from the "false proposition," starting logical reasoning, human thinking, science research opened up a vast world. Logic boundless beneficence. Li Shuqi