Tom Ellis
Jan 5, 2024

A sound observation about a common rhetorical entrapment—the “yes or no” fallacy. Zen Buddhists give us a third option: MU. This translates roughly as “I cannot answer your question because it is based on assumptions that themselves are flawed.” Rather like “cancel” on the dialogue box of a computer app: “Save changes before closing?”

Tom Ellis
Tom Ellis

Written by Tom Ellis

I am a retired English professor now living in Oregon, and a life-long environmental activist, Buddhist, and holistic philosopher.

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