202503211655 - Paradox

202208221726 - Fredkin's paradox

A paradox is a statement or situation that seems to be self-contradictory or absurd but may, in fact, be true or contain a deeper truth. Paradoxes often involve contradictory-yet-interrelated elements that persist over time, leading to a "unity of opposites" where both parts of the paradox can be considered accurate despite their apparent contradiction[1][4].

Types of Paradoxes

Logical Paradoxes: These are statements that lead to a logical contradiction, often used to highlight flaws in reasoning or definitions. Examples include the Liar Paradox ("This sentence is false") and Russell's Paradox, which questions whether a set of all sets that do not contain themselves contains itself[1][3].
Literary Paradoxes: Used in literature to create striking exposition or unexpected insights. They juxtapose incongruous ideas to reveal deeper meanings or truths. Examples include Oscar Wilde's "I can resist anything except temptation" and Shakespeare's "I must be cruel only to be kind"[2][7].

Examples and Usage

Philosophical Paradoxes: The Ship of Theseus paradox questions whether a ship remains the same if all its parts are replaced over time[1].
Literary Examples: In Animal Farm, & George Orwell writes, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others," highlighting a paradoxical social hierarchy[4].
Catch-22: A famous literary paradox from Joseph Heller's novel, where a pilot can be excused from duty if deemed insane, but requesting such an excuse is considered sane behavior[7].

Paradoxes are valuable tools in both logic and literature, encouraging critical thinking and providing insightful commentary on complex issues.

Sources
[1] Paradox - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox
[2] Paradox (literature) - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_(literature)
[3] List of paradoxes - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paradoxes
[4] Paradox | Definition and Examples - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOsT1dhdo3c
[5] What Is a Paradox? Definition and Examples - ProWritingAid https://prowritingaid.com/paradox-definition
[6] PARADOX Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com https://www.dictionary.com/browse/paradox
[7] What is a Paradox? Definition and Examples for Literature and Film https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-paradox-definition/
[8] Paradox - Definition and Examples - LitCharts https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/paradox
[9] 20 Paradoxes That Are True - Mark Manson https://markmanson.net/paradoxes-that-are-true
[10] Paradoxes that are truly and deeply interesting? : r/math - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/s3hib4/paradoxes_that_are_truly_and_deeply_interesting/
[11] Paradox | Definition, Types & Examples - Lesson - Study.com https://study.com/learn/lesson/paradox-in-literature-examples.html
[12] 10+ Baffling Paradox Examples to Make You Feel Smarter https://smartblogger.com/paradox-examples/
[13] What Is a Paradox? | Definition & Examples - Scribbr https://www.scribbr.com/rhetoric/paradox/
[14] Paradox: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net https://literaryterms.net/paradox/
[15] 20 Paradoxes That Will Boggle Your Mind - Mental Floss https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59040/10-mind-boggling-paradoxes
[16] PARADOX | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/paradox
[17] Paradoxes and Contemporary Logic https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paradoxes-contemporary-logic/
[18] What is a Paradox? Definition, Types, and Examples - Scribophile https://www.scribophile.com/images/academy/1263/image-1.png?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPyLbOh5yMAxWgj68BHb8QGTsQ_B16BAgBEAI
[19] Paradox - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/paradox
[20] What are Paradoxes? | Journal of the American Philosophical ... https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-american-philosophical-association/article/what-are-paradoxes/A8793F0C69AB7D58FB62FDB38D1A4BD8