The Earlham Road Project

Fiction, collaboration, disgust

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Historiography

There were two professors. One said that the stuff you saw and touched was real, and that when you saw and touched it you were touching the same stuff everybody else saw and touched; the other said that the stuff you saw and touched was all in your head, and that there was no sure way of telling what was real and what was not.

They argued for some time.

Both had, at different points in their careers, pondered the question of infinity, but had put the question aside as not being within the realms of human understanding.

They died, one after the other, in fairly quick succession.

Two other professors came along and took their places, continuing their arguments. One said that the stuff you saw and touched was real, and that when you saw and touched it you were touching the same stuff everybody else saw and touched; the other said that the stuff you saw and touched was all in your head, and that there was no sure way of telling what was real and what was not.

Both had pondered the question of infinity and both had concluded that life is short, but that the argument continues forever.