12 SEPTEMBER 1987, Page 24

Crystal balls

Sir: Since Mr Inglis (Letters, 5 September) has appealed to me, may I be allowed to rule that he is wrong on one point, right on another. Mr Welch rightly found it self- contradictory to speak of pre-cognising what will not happen. On the other hand the fact that an event is successfully pre- dicted, on whatever grounds, does not entail that it is predestined.

A.J. Ayer

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