Argument Quote by Douglas Adams
![“[The Head of Radio Three] had been ensnared by the Music Director of the college and a Professor of Philosophy. These two were busy explaining to the harassed man that the phrase "too much Mozart" was, given any reasonable definition of those three words, an inherently self-contradictory…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/289/douglas-adams-122_argument_the-head-of-radio-three-had-been-ensnare_934848.jpg)
“[The Head of Radio Three] had been ensnared by the Music Director of the college and a Professor of Philosophy. These two were busy explaining to the harassed man that the phrase "too much Mozart" was, given any reasonable definition of those three words, an inherently self-contradictory expression, and that any sentence which contained such a phrase would be thereby rendered meaningless and could not, consequently, be advanced as part of an argument in favour of any given programme-scheduling strategy.”
About This Quote
Source Radio Play: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 1978
The phrase “too much Mozart” is contradictory because “too much” implies excess, yet music cannot be quantified in that way, rendering the argument meaningless.
In simple terms: Contradictory phrase makes argument void.
Key Takeaway
Question vague terms in debates.
Themes
logic
language
communication
absurdity
philosophy
Mood
ironic
analytical
Type
satirical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- debates
- academic lectures
- media criticism
- creative writing
- policy discussions
Key Concepts
Self‑contradiction
semantic analysis
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- When does a phrase become meaningless?
- How can we clarify vague language?
A Different Perspective
May ignore genuine concerns about content overload.
![“Does God know he [exists]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a21/douglas-adams-122_courses_does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-doe_26187.jpg)
