stoutfellow: (Murphy)
stoutfellow ([personal profile] stoutfellow) wrote2008-07-22 09:50 am
Entry tags:

Epimenides

"It's a latter-day illustration of the ancient paradox: Cretans always lie, said the Cretan."

Sigh. A Cretan saying that Cretans always lie does not produce a paradox. All that is necessary is to assume that:
  • Cretans sometimes lie and sometimes tell the truth;
  • This particular Cretan, on this particular occasion, is lying.
No paradox. Watch your freaking quantifiers, people!

[identity profile] dan-ad-nauseam.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[livejournal.com profile] stoutfellow obviously dislikes wearing a Godel.

[identity profile] tygerr.livejournal.com 2008-07-23 01:08 pm (UTC)(link)
People keep invoking that "Cretan" business when what they're really trying to say is:

THIS STATEMENT is a lie.

pardox

(Anonymous) 2008-07-25 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
I don't understand your logic. Why would you say that Cretans sometimes lie when the Cretan says Cretans always lie. you know what happens when you assume.
Does that mean that all logic uses assumptions in their logic? assumptions are terrible.