Archive for the ‘Paradoxes’ Category

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The following is a set of language contradictions collected by Bryan Bunch in his book, “Mathematical Fallacies and Paradoxes”:

The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. – Oscar Wilde

We have met the enemy, and he is us. – Walt Kelley

Please ignore this notice. – (Graffiti)

All Cretans are liars. – Epimenides (who was a Cretan himself)

The statement I am making is false. – Eublides

That last quote is also known as the Liar’s paradox, variations of which, like “this statement is false,” or “I am a liar,” and the following dialogue, are common:

Socrates: What Plato is about to say is false.
Plato: Socrates has just spoken truly.

Other playful paradoxes of language mentioned in Bunch’s book:

This sentence is French.

“Yields a false conclusion when appended to its own quotation” yields a false conclusion when appended to its own quotation. – Quine

“Is not the title of any book, so far as I know” is not the title of any book, so far as I know. – Douglas Hofstadter

Has your brain exploded yet?

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