Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

26Douglas R. HofstadterA Conversationwith Einstein’s BrainThe Tortoise and Achilles bump into each other accidentally at the edge of one of thelarge octagonal ponds in the fardin du Luxembourg in Paris, where young lads andlasses often take their small sailboats-and, in this day and age, even motorized and radiocontrolledboats. But this is beside the point. It is a pleasant fall day.ACHILLES: Why, Mr. Tortoise! I thought you were back in the fifth century B.C.!TORTOISE: What about yourself? As for me, I often stroll through the centuries. It'sgood for the spleen, and besides, I find it refreshing on a pleasant fall day tomeander among the bushes and trees, watching children grow old and die, only tobe supplanted by a new generation of equally brainless, but generallyrambunctious, human beings. Ah, what a harried existence it must be, to be amember of that feeble-minded species. Oh-pardon me! Indeed, I totally forgot Iwas addressing a member of that noble race. Why, you, Achilles, of course are anexception to the rule (thereby proving it, as the common human "logic" has it).You have been known, on occasion, to come out with truly insightful commentsabout the human condition (even if they were, to some extent, more or lessaccidental and unintended!). I feel very privileged to have known you, of all thehuman race, Achilles.