a little philosophy joke.

[Thomas Eckhardt]

'Generations of philosophers and linguists have heard the 
story of the Columbia lecture in the 1950s in which the 
eminent Oxford philosopher J.L. Austin explained how many 
languages employ the double negative to denote a positive 
("he is not unlike his sister"), but that no language 
employs a double positive to make a negative. 
Morgenbesser, sitting in the audience, waved his arm 
dismissively, and retorted: "Yeah, yeah."'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-sidney-morgenbesser-550224.html

But my favourite Morgenbesser anecdote is this:

"He is said to have been approached on the New York subway 
by a cop who insisted he put out his cigarette, saying: 
'If I let you do it, I'd have to let everyone do it.'

Morgenbesser replied: 'Who do you think you are - Kant?' 
and was promptly arrested for using obscene language to a 
police officer."

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/sep/12/features.philipfrench

Thanks to whoever forwarded this a few months ago.
-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l