Paradox Lost covers ten of philosophy’s most fascinating paradoxes,
in which seemingly compelling reasoning leads to absurd conclusions.
The following paradoxes are included: The Liar Paradox, in which a
sentence says of itself that it is false. Is the sentence true or
false? The Sorites Paradox, in which we imagine removing grains of
sand one at a time from a heap of sand. Is there a particular grain
whose removal converts the heap to a non-heap? The Puzzle of the
Self-Torturer, in which a series of seemingly rational choices has us
accepting a life of excruciating pain, in exchange for millions of
dollars. Newcomb’s Problem, in which we seemingly maximize our
expected profit by taking an unknown sum of money, rather than taking
the same sum plus $1000. The Surprise Quiz Paradox, in which a
professor finds that it is impossible to give a surprise quiz on any
particular day of the week . . . butalso that if this is so, then a
surprise quiz can be given on any day. The Two Envelope Paradox, in
which we are asked to choose between two indistinguishable envelopes,
and it is seemingly shown that each envelope is preferable to the
other. The Ravens Paradox, in which observing a purple shoe provides
evidence that all ravens are black. The Shooting Room Paradox, in
which a deadly game kills 90% of all who play, yet each individual’s
survival turns on the flip of a fair coin. Each paradox is clearly
described, common mistakes are explored, and a clear, logical solution
offered. Paradox Lost will appeal to professional philosophers,
students of philosophy, and all who love intellectual puzzles.
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Logical Solutions to Ten Puzzles of Philosophy
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9783319904900
Publisert
2018
Utgiver
Springer Nature
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter