Paradoxic

“Less is more”

Fellow homo-sapiens, I have come to enlighten you on a particular topic. A topic I find infinitely interesting and every time it’s brought up it never ceases to amaze me. Paradoxes. It is often easier to explain something with an example. Take the introduction sentence, “Less is more” This statement uses two opposite words that contradict one another. How can less be more? The concept behind this statement is that what is less complicated is often more appreciated.

A paradox is a statement that may seem absurd or contradictory but yet can be true, or at least makes sense. Paradoxes are often contrary to what is commonly believed and so play an important part in furthering our understanding in everyday life or they can simply be an entertaining brain teaser.

The word ‘Paradox’ can be dissected, ‘Para’ and ‘Dox’. ‘Para’ is Latin for distinct from and ‘Dox’ comes from ‘Doxa’ which is Latin for ‘Our opinion’.

In 1961, W.V.Quine, an American philosopher and logician (He is recognized as one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century), outlined the three types of paradoxes:

Falsidical: - A falsidical paradox establishes a result that not only appears false but actually is false, due to a fallacy in the demonstration. For example: the paradox of Achilles and tortoise. It is stated if Achilles starts a race at the starting line and the tortoise has a 500m head start, Achilles will be unable to beat the tortoise because every time Achilles catches up to the point where the tortoise was the tortoise had moved some distance ahead. This falsidical paradox was mystery for years because the people of those times didn’t know how to mathematically prove it wrong.

Veridical; - A veridical paradox establishes a result that appears false but is proven to be true. For example: (This probably isn’t a very good example) Young Friedrich was apprenticed to pirates until his 21st birthday, he turns 21 today but will not be able to leave the pirates for a much longer period of years, Why? This is because young Friedrich was born on 29th of February on a leap year, so he has his birthday every 4 years or so. Thus, even though he is physically 21, the pirates did not consider him to be 21.

Antinomy: - My favorite and the most popular type of paradoxes. These type of paradoxes are not true neither false, they are self-contradictory. It is a problem made to seem impossible. For example: The barber paradox, a barber (who is a man) shaves all and only those men who do not shave themselves. Does he shave himself? For this I have no answer as these are meant to completely baffle you.

Below is my favourite picture which I believe is the ideal way of experiencing a paradox, Lo and behold:

My entry now is coming to an end, I hope you have enjoyed and been enlightened on paradoxes. Because I started this with a paradox, I feel it is only right if I end it with a paradox.

‘What will happen if Pinocchio says “My nose will now grow”?’

Abdullah Hashmat