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Paradoxes http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14836 |
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Author: | mothy [ Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:21 pm ] |
Post subject: | Paradoxes |
Nothing can bear a relation to all and only the things that do not bear it to themselves. It is not a point that would have occurred to most of us, but the proof is easy. Pick any relation('helps,' 'attracts,' 'activates,'...) and suppose there were something x that bore it to all and only the things that do not bear it to themselves. So x would bear it to anything if and only if that thing did not bear it to itself. So, in particular, x would bear it to x if and only if x did not bear it to x. A contradiction. Imagine, contrary to a familiar saying, that God helps all and only those who do not help themselves. Then God would help himself if and only if he did not help himself. A contradiction. We still not have proved that God helps those who help themselves, but we have certainly disproved something else. We can extend our logical law a bit by relativizing it: Nothing of a given kind can bear a relation to all and only the things of that kind that do not bear it to themselves. Proof proceeds essentially as before. Can God create a river he is unable to cross? The old ones are the best I know! |
Author: | Iowanic [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:27 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
Moth: Can a triangle have more then 3 sides? |
Author: | Wayne Stollings [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:32 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
Can something with three sides not be a triangle? (Yes) |
Author: | Iowanic [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:37 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
Depends on what's being argued over. There are three sides to every arguement, you know. |
Author: | Wayne Stollings [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:11 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
Inside, outside, and no side? |
Author: | Iowanic [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:35 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
You left out the up-side. Oh-oh.....that's 4 sides. It's hard work not being square about triangles.... |
Author: | Wayne Stollings [ Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:19 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
That would open the door to add the down-side and make it a pentagon, thus proving it is a conspiracy by the military industrial complex. |
Author: | mothy [ Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:50 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Paradoxes |
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