186. 

Suppose a Transylvanian has made the following two statements:

1) I am a human.
2) If I am a human, then Count Dracula is alive.

Can we conclude from these statements whether Count Dracula is alive?

## V. WHAT QUESTION TO ASK?
186. From the first statement ("I am a human"), it does not follow that the Transylvanian is a human, but it does follow that he must be of sound mind. (A human who has lost their reason would not know that they are a human. A vampire who has lost their reason would believe themselves to be a human and, lying, would say that they are a vampire.) Thus, we know that the Transylvanian is of sound mind. Let us prove that he is a human. Suppose he is a vampire. Then it is not true that our Transylvanian is a human, and since anything follows from a false statement, his second statement ("if I am a human, then Count Dracula is alive") should be true.

But a vampire of sound mind cannot make true statements, and we arrive at a contradiction. Therefore, our Transylvanian cannot be a vampire and must be a human.

Thus, we know that the Transylvanian is of sound mind and that he is a human, so the statements he makes are true. Therefore, his second statement ("if I am a human, then Count Dracula is alive") must be true. He is a human. Therefore, Count Dracula is alive.