Errol Morris is a brilliant film-maker, but did you know he’s just as good with essays?

Nothing is so obvious that it’s obvious. When someone says that something is obvious, it seems almost certain that it is anything but obvious – even to them. The use of the word “obvious” indicates the absence of a logical argument — an attempt to convince the reader by asserting the truth of something by saying it a little louder.

Long and involved, but worth it…

[The New York Times: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?]

2 Replies to “Errol Morris on the Impossibility of “Truth””

  1. Dave says:

    I’m not sure that this is an accurate statement. There are some things that are obvious in that they are easily recognized and perceived without the necessity of an argument justifying that fact. For example, does Mount Fuji have two peaks or one peak? You only need to look at it to know that there is only one peak. In other words, that Mount Fuji has only one peak is obvious or self evident upon examination and thus needs no further explanation or argument to justify. And don’t get me started on the expedition to climb the twin peaks of Mt. Kilamanjaro.

  2. jdroth says:

    Here’s part two, which is just as good, if not better.

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