Donald Duck: Is he a ...Duck?

Archontis Pantsios apantsi at binghamton.edu
Wed Feb 9 15:10:07 CET 2000


Fellow Quackeroos:

Well, here's my take on the contentious subject of Donald Duck's true
identity/personality:

*Hypothesis*: What defines a DUCK? Well, I assume that the following is a
pretty darn good definition: "If he walks like a Duck, if he talks like a
Duck, and if he looks like a Duck, then he's probably a DUCK!"

I assume that each of the 3 categories in the above definition of a DUCK
carry equal weight of 1/3. Then,

a) Does Donald Duck walk like a Duck? Nope! Hence, he's 1/3 human.

b) Does (the comic-book) Donald Duck talk like a Duck? Nope! Add another
1/3 human!

c) Does Donald Duck look like a Duck? Well, sure, he has a beak and webbed
feet, but on the other hand I have never seen a Duck with a sailor's hat
and vest. So, assuming that natural characteristics outweigh acquired and
induced ones, I assign 2/3 of this category to being a Duck, and 1/3 to
(wanting to be) human.

Total net result? Donald Duck is 1/3 + 1/3 + (1/3)(1/3) =
7/9 human and only 2/9 Duck! :-))))))  QED


Cheers,

Archontis




Archontis L. Pantsios, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor of Economics
Binghamton University
Binghamton, New York
USA
tel: (607)777-4726




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