One
day in New
York City, Morgenbesser put his pipe in his
mouth as he was ascending the subway steps.
A policeman approached and told him that there was no smoking on the subway.
Morgenbesser pointed out that he was leaving the subway, not entering it, and
that he had not yet lit up. The cop repeated his injunction. Morgenbesser
repeated his observation. After a few such exchanges, the cop saw he was beaten
and fell back on the oldest standby of enfeebled authority: "If I let you
do it, I'd have to let everyone do it." To this the old philosopher
replied, "Who do you think you are—Kant?"
His last word was misconstrued, and the whole question of the Categorical
Imperative had to be hashed out down at the police station.
Morgenbesser won the argument.
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