Sidney Morgenbesser, 1921 - 2004
Some anecdotes about the Columbia University philosophy professor.
On a debate about creation and the big bang, a girl stood up and asked the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?". His response: "Even if there were nothing, ma'am, you'd still be complaining!"
"During a lecture, the Oxford philosopher J.L Austin said that a double negative implies a positive meaning, but there is no language in which a double positive implies a negative. To which Morgenbesser responded, "Yeah, yeah." (Some have it quoted as "Yeah, right.")
Morgenbesser was leaving a subway station in New York City and put his pipe is his mouth as he was going up the steps. A police officer told him that there was no smoking on the subway. Morgenbesser pointed out that he was leaving the subway, not inside it, and hadn't lit up yet anyway. The cop replied, "If I let you do it, I'd have to let everyone do it." The professor replied, "Who do you think you are, Kant?" The word "Kant" was mistaken for a vulgar epithet and Morgenbesser had to explain the situation at the police station.
After finishing dinner, Sidney Morgenbesser decides to order dessert. The waitress tells him he has two choices: apple pie and blueberry pie. Sidney orders the apple pie. After a few minutes the waitress returns and says that they also have cherry pie at which point Morgenbesser says "In that case I'll have the blueberry pie."
On a debate about creation and the big bang, a girl stood up and asked the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?". His response: "Even if there were nothing, ma'am, you'd still be complaining!"
"During a lecture, the Oxford philosopher J.L Austin said that a double negative implies a positive meaning, but there is no language in which a double positive implies a negative. To which Morgenbesser responded, "Yeah, yeah." (Some have it quoted as "Yeah, right.")
Morgenbesser was leaving a subway station in New York City and put his pipe is his mouth as he was going up the steps. A police officer told him that there was no smoking on the subway. Morgenbesser pointed out that he was leaving the subway, not inside it, and hadn't lit up yet anyway. The cop replied, "If I let you do it, I'd have to let everyone do it." The professor replied, "Who do you think you are, Kant?" The word "Kant" was mistaken for a vulgar epithet and Morgenbesser had to explain the situation at the police station.
After finishing dinner, Sidney Morgenbesser decides to order dessert. The waitress tells him he has two choices: apple pie and blueberry pie. Sidney orders the apple pie. After a few minutes the waitress returns and says that they also have cherry pie at which point Morgenbesser says "In that case I'll have the blueberry pie."
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