The Bear that Wasn't

Author: Frank Tashlin
Plot Summary: A hibernating bear awakens to find himself smack dab in the middle of a sprawling industrial complex! To make matters even worse, every one he meets keeps insisting that he's not even a bear — just a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat.
Posted In: Epistemology, Metaphysics
Discussion Questions
  • How does a bear know it’s time to hibernate?
  • How does a bear know anything?
  • How do you know when it’s time for bed?
  • How do you know anything?
  • What is something you know you know?
  • What is something you believe but aren’t sure of?
  • How do you know that something is a bear?
  • How do you know that something is a silly man who needs a shave?
  • How can you convince something to believe what you do?
  • What do you do when everyone else believes something you don’t?
  • Could other people make you believe that you are a bear? Why or why not?
  • What is something that you know about yourself?
  • What is something that you wonder about yourself?
  • If everyone believes something does that make it true? Why or why not?