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Which Alice?

Which Alice?

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ALICE IN PUZZLE-LAND<br />

and can't get anywhere! If the barber shaves himself, then he is<br />

violating his rule by shaving someone who shaves himself. If he<br />

doesn't shave himself, then he is one of those who don't shave<br />

themselves, and since he shaves all such people, then he must shave<br />

himself. So whether he shaves himself or not, you get a contradiction!<br />

Now, you can't get out of this one by saying, 'It's neither true<br />

nor false that he shaves himself,' because it must be either true or<br />

false that he shaves himself!"<br />

"That who shaves himself?" asked Humpty Dumpty.<br />

"Why the barber, of course!"<br />

"<strong>Which</strong> barber?" asked Humpty Dumpty.<br />

"Obviously the barber of the story!" replied <strong>Alice</strong>, a bit impatiently.<br />

"Oh, really now?" said Humpty, "and who ever said the story is<br />

true?"<br />

<strong>Alice</strong> thought about this for a moment.<br />

"Come now," said <strong>Alice</strong>, "it is given that the barber is as described;<br />

in approaching a puzzle, one can't deny what's given!"<br />

"Can't one?" replied Humpty Dumpty, "even when the so-called<br />

given is self-contradictory?"<br />

This was a new idea to <strong>Alice</strong>.<br />

"The fact is," continued Humpty Dumpty, "there is no such<br />

barber, there never has been any such barber, and there never will<br />

be any such barber. There simply couldn't be such a barber, because<br />

if there were, you would have a contradiction."<br />

<strong>Alice</strong> was not quite convinced.<br />

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