Abracadabra!
This article does not explicitly address magic as an art, or as the usage of various techniques and practices to control the natural using the supernatural; but rather magic in the broader sense of the term. When we talk of miracles, when we talk of the inexplicable, we tend to speak of magic -that which is beyond our cognitive grasp. This will be the the sense of the term which will be considered in the matters ahead.
Abracadabra – according to Wikipedia - means, 'created as I say'. It is possible with a bit of logic, and a few premises to then create magic using a syllogism. Firstly, a syllogism is merely a conclusion that is arrived at by following the logic (or rules) of argumentation through from two premises (or statements). So, using the rules of argument, I am going to prove that everything is Magic! Ready.......
Magic is that which cannot be sufficiently explained.
Nothing can be sufficiently explained.
Therefore, everything is magic!
Wow! Unbelievable! The crowd cheers and with stars in their eyes they go out and buy the latest consumer goods. “But hey!” some brave soul left standing in the room cries. “That can't be right.” “Oh no?” the magician argues. “Why?”
“Firstly,” the brave soul argues- lets call this soul Sam, “I do not accept the first premise, 'Magic is that which cannot be sufficiently explained'”.
“And why is that?” the magician smiles.
“Well, what do you mean by insufficiently explained? I have never heard anyone refer to magic as that which cannot be sufficiently explained?”
“Good point!” says the cunning magician. “However, that is precisely how we use the term. For instance, when the children sit around my feet, and see me pull a white rabbit out of a hat, do they not call this magic? But why so? I will tell you why. Because it is incomprehensible to them how I can do such things. They cannot understand it, or conceive any possible worldly explanation how it can be so. Yet, as soon as they see how this is done and it is explained to them, revealed for all it's trickery and deceit, do they still call it magic? No, they don't.
“Or let's give an example in science. Mr Newton, the great man of moves, attempted to explain all those mysteries of our universe and could not explain for instance, why the moon and the earth have an effect on each other without them actually touching each other. So how did he explain this? He said, it was magic! Well he called that magic god, or a miracle, but all the same he could not explain without appealing to something we cannot grasp.” Sam was quite surprised at these answers and said, “I will give this some thought clever magician, but I am not convinced by your argument as I am sure there are counter examples that would not fit into your definition of magic.” Go ahead the Magician teased.
This article does not explicitly address magic as an art, or as the usage of various techniques and practices to control the natural using the supernatural; but rather magic in the broader sense of the term. When we talk of miracles, when we talk of the inexplicable, we tend to speak of magic -that which is beyond our cognitive grasp. This will be the the sense of the term which will be considered in the matters ahead.
Abracadabra – according to Wikipedia - means, 'created as I say'. It is possible with a bit of logic, and a few premises to then create magic using a syllogism. Firstly, a syllogism is merely a conclusion that is arrived at by following the logic (or rules) of argumentation through from two premises (or statements). So, using the rules of argument, I am going to prove that everything is Magic! Ready.......
Magic is that which cannot be sufficiently explained.
Nothing can be sufficiently explained.
Therefore, everything is magic!
Wow! Unbelievable! The crowd cheers and with stars in their eyes they go out and buy the latest consumer goods. “But hey!” some brave soul left standing in the room cries. “That can't be right.” “Oh no?” the magician argues. “Why?”
“Firstly,” the brave soul argues- lets call this soul Sam, “I do not accept the first premise, 'Magic is that which cannot be sufficiently explained'”.
“And why is that?” the magician smiles.
“Well, what do you mean by insufficiently explained? I have never heard anyone refer to magic as that which cannot be sufficiently explained?”
“Good point!” says the cunning magician. “However, that is precisely how we use the term. For instance, when the children sit around my feet, and see me pull a white rabbit out of a hat, do they not call this magic? But why so? I will tell you why. Because it is incomprehensible to them how I can do such things. They cannot understand it, or conceive any possible worldly explanation how it can be so. Yet, as soon as they see how this is done and it is explained to them, revealed for all it's trickery and deceit, do they still call it magic? No, they don't.
“Or let's give an example in science. Mr Newton, the great man of moves, attempted to explain all those mysteries of our universe and could not explain for instance, why the moon and the earth have an effect on each other without them actually touching each other. So how did he explain this? He said, it was magic! Well he called that magic god, or a miracle, but all the same he could not explain without appealing to something we cannot grasp.” Sam was quite surprised at these answers and said, “I will give this some thought clever magician, but I am not convinced by your argument as I am sure there are counter examples that would not fit into your definition of magic.” Go ahead the Magician teased.
“Let's move on to the second premise – 'Nothing can be sufficiently explained.' Have we not done this. Did the big bang not explain all the wonders of the universe, or evolutionary theory not explain man?”
“Ha!” the magician laughed. “And what or who created the big bang? And what came first the chicken or the egg? Did these things come out of thin air? As long as we do not know the answers to these questions it cannot be there are any sufficient explanations or explanations that explain everything including the explanation. Are you with me?
Sam was not convinced and yet he had run out of ways to challenge him. The logic, or the way he connected his premises seemed to be valid, and for now the premises stood without a good enough attack. But wait a fool hardy minute. The magician said magic is that which cannot be sufficiently explained and that nothing can be sufficiently explained. Not one thing. And yet everything is magic he concluded. So everything can be explained by magic - ha! That is a sufficient explanation. My friend, you have walked straight into a contradiction! The second premise contradicts the conclusion as on the one hand you have said there is no way everything can be explained fully, and yet you have said everything can be explained by positing magic.
Abracadabra – you are wrong.“
And then the Philosopher went out to play.
By Ellese Elliott
The Philosophy Takeaway 'Magic' Issue 25
The Philosophy Takeaway 'Magic' Issue 25
