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Paradox: A Detailed Explanation as well as Examples Blog

Mar 30, 2022

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The sentence you're reading is not true. That's four little words--but an entire spectrum of significance. Why? "This sentence is not true" is self-contradictory. If the sentence itself is not true when it states it's false, then it must be accurate. But if it's true, however, and the sentence says that it's false the sentence is likely to be true. Do you have hair that's dripping out? You are now in the bizarre, mind-bending universe of the puzzle.

While you're acquainted with the time traveler's paradox (if you happen to cause the death of your grandpa What would you do if you were born to go back and bring about the demise of your father? ), this universe is much larger than you imagined.

What is A Paradox?

Let's start with a simple understanding of the term paradox. The word paradox refers to an assertion that is self-contradictory, idea, or thematic scenario. The details of a paradox must be sufficient to cancel the logic behind that same paradox.

The most important thing to remember is: Paradoxes are typically illusory. They are more of thought experiments than observations of daily life. Think about the Penrose triangular shape which isn't a part of the world as we understand it. We can draw it, sure. We are able to visualize the scene. It is possible to visualize it.

However, in the end, like the assertion "this sentence is not true," the Penrose triangle doesn't hold up to logical examination. Let's examine some common examples of paradoxes to explain.

Zeno's Paradox

Imagine that you're just ten feet from an object. In order to reach it the first step is to travel half of the distance. There are still five feet. To reach the object, you need to travel half of that distance. Then, on and so on.

If that's the case then how can you reach the object?

This is one of these paradoxes that's widespread, that you've probably been discussing it with friends when you were young. In Zeno's paradox theoretically, it's impossible to travel between to any of two locations, since there is no way to get halfway before you can travel halfway. So, how can we travel to another location if we have to go halfway to the other end of the road an endless amount of times?

This is an excellent example of a false paradox, or a logic error we invented with our own minds. Of course we can be able to touch an object 10 feet away if we would like. Experience has proven this.

Then why does the paradox not occur in real life? Since it's mathematical (dividing by one half, ad infinitum) to a physical problem--a straightforward issue of speed. Zeno's paradox is a great example of winding oneself in a conundrum simply because you're thinking about an idea from an incorrect perspective.

The Ship of Theseus

The idea of this thought experiment goes back to the days of Plato. Imagine a first wooden boat. In time, the boat is worn down. Someone replaces the mast. Another replaces a plank of wood inside the vessel's hull. Eventually, the ship surpasses the entirety of its materials; it is a ship of repairs and replacements only.

Are you sure it's exactly the same boat?

The answer, obviously, is rhetorical. If yes, the ship has a paradox in it: the identical ship, however lacking any of the original components. If not, at what point did it change into a brand new vessel?

To find an answer, minds ranging between Noam Chomsky through Heraclitus, have written on ideas in philosophy like externalism as well as perdurantism. That is to say: Because the problem is so elusive that we must turn to the world of philosophy in order to find the answer.

The Art of War

There's a reason that Sun Tzu's The Art of War still is fresh in all these years. It is filled with enough insight to comprehend and articulate the complexities.

"The most effective art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting," says Sun Tzu. What? "In the midst of chaos, there's an opportunity." Oh, what? Where?

Yet on closer examination they reveal some old truths. It is best to stay clear of war when you can in order to remain in a position to gain. In many cases, there is greater opportunity during turmoil than during times of peace--if you're able to keep your head on straight.

"The most important victory is one without a battle" Sun Tzu says. This is true. If you're able to stay clear of bloodshed, but you still reach your goals, then haven't you out-generaled the best generals of the battlefield? Sun Tzu uses paradoxes to encourage fresh thinking about the goals you want to achieve.

Paradoxes are present in Everyday Language

Although we may not be aware of it, but we continually utter paradoxes without thinking. Consider some common English expressions:

  • The less is the better.
  • You have to spend money to make cash.
  • The only thing constant in the world is the constant change.

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Examples of Paradoxes in Poetry

When Shakespeare said that "Cowards suffer many deaths prior to they die," it created one of the most famous contradictions of literature. Which way do you go to die in the midst of the time you die? Of course, it's not meant literally--Shakespeare is forcing us to reexamine the life of cowards and the tiny deaths they experience due to shame and ridicule.

In literature, they function as pattern breakers. They cause us to look at the importance of the supposedly false claim as well as reevaluate the reasoning which led to it being false in the first place.

Hamlet

Let's take a literary trick from the "blank verse" poetry written by Shakespeare. Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet, Shakespeare has his protagonist issue an odd statement:

I'm supposed to not be nice to do it..

On its face, the claim isn't logical since cruelty and love are opposites. Yet, Hamlet will explain that the actions Hamlet must do in the the play is going to appear to be contrary to his real motivations.

The Odyssey

In the epic poem by Homer, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is Nobody. After he has launched his assault on the Cyclops The monster will just declare that nobody is killing him. This leads to a paradox in itself. If nobody else is taking his life, then why do you know he's dying?

The Red Wheelbarrow

Some examples of poetic irony can be described as straightforward. Consider a very simple picture: William Carlos Williams' famous red wheelbarrow. From the outside, this poem is just a photo. Williams provides us with an picture of a red wheelbarrow covered in rainwater and glazed beside white chickens. That's it.

You can practically hear the students of high school poetry looking at their reflections. But look deeper. The poem starts with a sentence which spells out what is to come: "so much depends upon ..."

How could so much be dependent on an object as simple as this? This doesn't. The description that comes after creates a paradox, a self-contradictory statement. Just three words--"so much depends"--Williams offers an underlying meaning that could be rumbling underneath the surface.

It is the Difference Between Paradox and Oxymoron

The situation can become complicated. The basic idea is that both systems stem from the same concept of self-contradiction. However, if you're able to summarize the mystery in tight, incongruous phrases (like "awfully good"), you've likely found an oxymoron in your plate.

Utilizing Unrealistic Ideas to Bring the Life of Your Writing

When done correctly the use of a paradox will bring about a great change when it comes to writing. It can be used to draw attention to the character, as with William Carlos Williams and his famous red wheelbarrow. You can highlight a character's dualistic character, just as Shakespeare used to do with Hamlet.

It is also possible to use a paradox to create tension as many writers of science fiction have done using the paradox of the Time Traveler. Take the film from 1985, Back to the Future in which all the drama is born out of Marty McFly's struggle to stay clear of making a self-destructive contradiction.

Oddly enough, in identifying their self-contradictory instincts, you'll find that rather than degrading these people in the first place, they seem to come up. It's quite a contradiction.

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