ABSTRACT
The example is given of the blind man asked to study and describe an elephant. Because he cannot see the beast, he needs to use his well-developed sense of touch to gather the data necessary to describe the animal. But each time he approaches the creature and lays his hands upon it, the elephant shyly pulls away. The man realizes that he will never gather the information he needs without somehow stopping the animal from moving. So, he gets a gun. Returning to the elephant, he listens for its motions and then shoots and kills it. Finally, he is able to approach the animal, feel it, and describe it. “An elephant,” the blind man states, “is a large, motionless beast that lies on its side and has a gaping hole in its head.”
