Surreal things students say...
Jul. 7th, 2005 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_t_rainSo we're having a rousing round of Spot the Fallacy in one of my evening tutorial sessions, and we get to the sentence Marijuana should remain illegal because its use is morally wrong. If it weren't wrong, the government wouldn't have outlawed it in the first place.
Student: It's that circle-thingy, isn't it?
Me: Circular argument? Good, tell me why.
Student: Because the government can't have outlawed marijuana. It was never legal.
Me: Well, actually it was legal, up until the 1930's or so.
Student: Really?
Me: Well, yeah. They hadn't passed any laws about it yet.
Student: Well, that doesn't make it legal, right? Just sort of undefined? Like, there aren't any laws against me going out and smoking the leaves off that oak tree :: points to window :: so it's undefined.
Me: Um, that means smoking oak leaves is legal. Weird, but legal.
Student: Oh. :: long pause :: So it isn't a circular argument, then?
:: blink ::
Student: It's that circle-thingy, isn't it?
Me: Circular argument? Good, tell me why.
Student: Because the government can't have outlawed marijuana. It was never legal.
Me: Well, actually it was legal, up until the 1930's or so.
Student: Really?
Me: Well, yeah. They hadn't passed any laws about it yet.
Student: Well, that doesn't make it legal, right? Just sort of undefined? Like, there aren't any laws against me going out and smoking the leaves off that oak tree :: points to window :: so it's undefined.
Me: Um, that means smoking oak leaves is legal. Weird, but legal.
Student: Oh. :: long pause :: So it isn't a circular argument, then?
:: blink ::
