"The only thing I know, I know nothing" -- Socrates
Is paradox only a crosswise thought or reflection of conflict?
For thousands of years, what has been the aim of philosophers while contemplating paradoxes?
Are they weak points in philosophy or do philosophers bring paradoxes to attention to make us think critically? Socrates, Galileo, Zenon and the others show that their aim is to exceed the limits of human logic.
Till now, many puzzles, which are surmised as paradoxes, have been solved so they show that the basic principles or rules of logic can be broken by logic itself.
Every week in this section of Bilnews, we will try to deal with a puzzle to discern whether it is an unsolved paradox or a product of sophism. According to the published paradox, you will send me your answers and/or thoughts via email. Some of these contributions will then be published the following week. Even if we do not receive an exact answer for these puzzles, several lucky participants can win prizes.
For the next week,
Socrates comes to a bridge which guarded by Plato. He requests for passing through the bridge; however, Plato says that: I swear, if your next words are true I will allow you to do pass, if not I will throw you to the river.
Then Socrates' answer:
You will throw me to the river.
This is the 17. Trick of Buridan. What do you think about the end of this dialogue? What will Plato do and how the reply of Socrates can be explain or expand in which way?
For your emails: n_kahyaoglu@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
By Neslihan Kahyaošlu (IE/III)
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