In an age of specialization, Alfred North Whitehead was a modern Renaissance man, a polymath who distinguished himself not only in philosophy, but also in mathematics, physics, logic, and educational theory. A lifelong teacher, his popularity with students is shown in the following humorous anecdote:
“At Oxford University, when a professor concludes a course, it is the custom for the students to pound the floor with their feet as a tribute to the teacher for his fine teaching. On one occasion, when Whitehead had finished his last lecture, the pounding of feet was so enthusiastic that in the room below, where a professor of logic was lecturing, the ceiling began to fall. The professor of logic remarked: ‘I am afraid that the premises will not support Dr. Whitehead’s conclusion!'”1
The remark by the professor of logic, by bringing together two different domains, is a wonderfully clever play of words.
Note
1. Howard W. Eves, Mathematical Circles Revisited, p. 174.
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