The Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast, brought to you with the support of Kings College London and the

LMU in Munich online at www. History of Philosophy.net.

Today's episode, Proof positive, the logical tradition.

In the Islamic world, many humorous stories are told featuring the Sufi folkiroiro Mullah Nasradin.

For example, Nasradin turns up at a border crossing and the customs officer searches him,

his donkey and his empty basket for contraband. He finds nothing and waves him through. The next week

the same thing happens, and again the following week and so on, but the Customs Officer can

find nothing hidden on the donkey or in the basket.

This goes on for years.

The Customs Officer eventually retires.

He runs into Nasradine at the market and says,

I'm retired, now you can tell me. I know you must have been smuggling something all those years what was it

Donkeys and baskets replies Nasradin

Or how about this one? Nesradin is sitting by a river and sees a traveler arrive at the far shore.

The traveler looks around and then calls out,

How do I get across?

What do you mean?

X Nasradin. You're already across. And here's a third one,

more germane to the topic of this week's episode. A king declares that he will tolerate

no deviations from the truth and that anyone who tells a lie in his city will be executed.

Nasradin goes to the city, presents himself at the gates, and is asked what his business is.

I'm here to be executed, he explains. What should the guard do? If he

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