Editing 1033: Formal Logic
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This comic is a riff on bumper stickers that say "honk if you love ____". Here, the subject is {{w|Mathematical logic|formal logic}}, but the word "if" is replaced with a formal logic term "{{w|If and only if|iff}}," which means "if and only if". | This comic is a riff on bumper stickers that say "honk if you love ____". Here, the subject is {{w|Mathematical logic|formal logic}}, but the word "if" is replaced with a formal logic term "{{w|If and only if|iff}}," which means "if and only if". | ||
β | + | "If and only if" sets a condition which must be met before a procedure is allowed. In this case, you must love formal logic (condition) in order to be allowed to honk (procedure). The title text further elaborates on this, saying in essence: "Don't honk at me just because you're impatient that I stopped for a pedestrian." | |
β | The joke is the contained self-reference | + | The joke is the contained self-reference. You have to love formal logic to take the sticker seriously and honk for exclusively that reason. In fact, by logic you MUST honk if you love formal logic. The title text reveals the sticker is actually there to stop people from honking at him altogether, because Randall understandably hates it when he yields for pedestrians only to get honked at by some impatient driver behind him; the ONLY reason you're allowed to honk is to declare your love for formal logic. So by extension, if someone DOES honk while he is stopped for a pedestrian, he can simply enjoy the idea that the other driver loves formal logic rather than is being impatient, transforming what might otherwise be an irritant into pleasure. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
β | + | *The xkcd store sells [https://store.xkcd.com/products/formal-logic-bumper-sticker "Formal Logic" bumper stickers] similar to the one in this comic. | |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} |