Paradoxes - Discussion

Quotes

"But one must not think ill of the paradox, for the paradox is the passion of thought, and the thinker without the paradox is like the lover without passion: a mediocre fellow. But the ultimate potentiation of every passion is always to will its own downfall, and so it is also the ultimate passion of the understanding to will the collision, although in one way or another the collision must become its downfall. This, then, is the ultimate paradox of thought: to want to discover something that thought itself cannot think."

― Søren Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments

“Well, the way of paradoxes is the way of truth. To test reality we must see it on the tight rope. When the verities become acrobats, we can judge them.”

― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The Dao that can be told, is not the eternal Dao...Darkness within darkness, the gateway to all understanding."

― Daodejing

Quine's classification

See Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox

Some paradoxes for discussion

Monty Hall problem: https://youtu.be/4Lb-6rxZxx0

Barbar paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber_paradox

Zeno's Paradoxes discussion

 

Zeno of Elea

Zeno of Elea, 5th c. B.C.E. thinker, is known exclusively for propounding a number of ingenious paradoxes. The most famous of these purport to show that motion is impossible by bringing to light apparent or latent contradictions in ordinary assumptions regarding its occurrence. Zeno also argued against the commonsense assumption that there are many things by showing in various ways how it, too, leads to contradiction. 

We may never know just what led Zeno to develop his famous paradoxes. While it is typically said that he aimed to defend the paradoxical monism of his Eleatic mentor, Parmenides, the Platonic evidence on which this view has resided ultimately fails to support it. Since Zeno’s arguments in fact tend to problematise the application of quantitative conceptions to physical bodies and to spatial expanses as ordinarily conceived, the paradoxes may have originated in reflection upon Pythagorean efforts to apply mathematical notions to the natural world.  (from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Some questions

For each of the paradoxes, perhaps we can consider questions such as:

• How does the apparent logical argument from Zeno lead to a ridiculous conclusion?
• What does the paradox show us how we think about reality?
• Does the current standard solution solve the problem raised?

Some paradoxes from Zeno

1. The Dichotomy - please see the above YouTube video.   
2. The Achilles and the turtle - see Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy for details and solution: https://iep.utm.edu/zenos-paradoxes/
3. The Arrow: see a short response at the start of this video: https://youtu.be/SMPid7Sh0EE
• If you are interested in space time science, you may wish to continue watching the video.  Watch for the weeping angel too - don't blink.
4. Paradoxes of Plurality -Limited and Unlimited : see Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy for details and solution: https://iep.utm.edu/zenos-paradoxes/
• If you are interested in space time science, you may find the following videos interesting:
• PBS Space Time - What If Space And Time Are NOT Real? : https://youtu.be/SN8nTQiWOYY
•  PBS Space Time - What’s Your Brain’s Role in Creating Space & Time? https://youtu.be/OV9MnAZLmMQ

Friedrich Nietzsche - Resources

 

YouTube video playlists on Nietzsche

 Academy of Ideas - Introduction to Nietzsche: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYxecbGotUyqiNRXY_VrUvF952rLmyNl

 Academy of Ideas - Nietzsche and Nihilism: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYxecbGotUwLODYN7mcPhILw3JoJPYg1

Academy of Ideas - Nietzsche and the Will to Power: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYxecbGotUzd8_ng0k121a0U0hcUgt1b

essentialsalts - The Nietzsche Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjnhfrJcWicBPaG0YnghbCgBRV-YP6rT2

Eternalised - Friedrich Nietzsche Books: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_0I7-kEnl0ZjSo3v27CpqpyeNat2BrOI

Eternalised - Nietzsche's Philosophy Explained: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_0I7-kEnl0Zl6FCbMY6dadEFg5iQ516w

Michael Sugrue - Hegel - Nietzsche: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlXhOCsEMhtQnd9zuqe5f247SU-zaANkD

Philosophy Overdose - Nietzsche: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhP9EhPApKE_ySvPE8kzFUkA5aO_cdKmb

Sam Au -  Philosophy Friedrich Nietzsche: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAsFBvw8jjvaJOmgIi9K2wFBbuTQHkL8N

Weltgeist - Friedrich NIETZSCHE - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV6b0BaA1rfMFcpu3XjDrYTT4p9vebs--

Internet Resources

Britannica - Friedrich Nietzsche: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Nietzsche

 Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Friedrich Nietzsche: https://iep.utm.edu/nietzsch/

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Friedrich Nietzsche: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche/

Wikipedia - Friedrich Nietzsche: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche

 Books

THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY The Lives and Opinions (will durant)-1926: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EpRD2WA2VqZRtcJGhQsYHb_Dxfri3fGI/view?usp=share_link

Paradoxes, resources

 

Photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash

Definitions

A paradox is a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true; or a statement or proposition which, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems logically unacceptable or self-contradictory. (definitions from Google/Oxford Languages)

Lists of Paradoxes

Britannica - Brain Games - 8 Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes: https://www.britannica.com/list/8-philosophical-puzzles-and-paradoxes

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Logical Paradoxes: https://iep.utm.edu/par-log/

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - School of Names: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/school-names/paradoxes.html

Wikipedia - List of paradoxes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paradoxes

Wikipedia 維基百科 - 悖論: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%82%96%E8%AE%BA

Wikipedia 維基百科 - 謬誤列表:  https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AC%AC%E8%AA%A4%E5%88%97%E8%A1%A8

YouTube - Playlists of Paradoxes

Carneades.org - Philosophical Paradoxes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz0n_SjOttTfmaItU9EmyfazuOuTXdN9V

 Daniel Bonevac - Practical Paradoxes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzWd5Ny3vW3SSq4Ysw_hcxxdXmnCItkpR

Smart by Design - Paradox videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjWMsquTmYcJT8eM0t_q-MotOqu_CXhvF

Sam Au - Philosophical Paradoxes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAsFBvw8jjvZAlANB1J1au7SpgCyJfhBA

Ted-Ed Paradoxes (by Natacha Josue): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCPlYLAhWxHKyaowipTCW_stHCg8c6AiQ

Up and Atom - Paradoxes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1lNrW4e0G8XVWIQoOlp_cM8PxDSqKgis

Wifi Philosophy - Puzzles, Problems, and Paradoxes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKNX4SfKpzUURFV6ucpn2TGaZYqXyrai

Internet Resources

• Encyclopedia.com - Paradox and Riddles: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/paradox-and-riddles
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://iep.utm.edu/p/
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Paradoxes and Contemporary Logic: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paradoxes-contemporary-logic/
• Wikipedia - Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox
• Wikipedia 維基百科 - 悖論: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%82%96%E8%AE%BA

For Discussion in Class

Zeno's paradox: https://www.britannica.com/list/8-philosophical-puzzles-and-paradoxes

Barber paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber_paradox

Monty Hall problem: https://youtu.be/4Lb-6rxZxx0

Ship of Theseus: https://youtu.be/lzKH8_EXG3Q

Other paradoxes, puzzles and problems on: Britannica - Brain Games - 8 Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes: https://www.britannica.com/list/8-philosophical-puzzles-and-paradoxes

Daodejing - Chapter Eight

 

Wikisource:- Category: Laozi, woodcuts of China

道德經  - 第八章

上善若水。

水善利萬物而不爭，處衆人之所惡，故幾於道。

居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，動善時。

夫唯不爭，故無尤。

Daodejing - Chapter Eight

The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to.

It is content with the low places, that people disdain.

Thus it is like the Dao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground;

In thinking, keep to the simple;

In conflict, be fair and generous;

In governing, don't try to control;

In work, do what you enjoy;

In family life, be completely present.

When you content to be simply yourself, and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu:  https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 16:50 and ends at 18:00..
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Seven

 

Painting of Laozi from Wikisource.  Source of the painting is not identified.

道德經  - 第七章

天長地久。

天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長生。

是以聖人後其身而身先；外其身而身存。

非以其無私耶？故能成其私。

Daodejing - Chapter Seven

The Dao is infinite, eternal.

Why is it eternal?  

It was never born, thus it can never die.

Why is it infinite?

It has no desires for itself, thus it is present for all beings.

The master stays behind, that is why she is ahead.

She is detached from all things, that is why she is one with them.

Because she has let go of herself, she is perfectly fulfilled. 

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu:  https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 15:55 and ends at 16:50.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Six

 

Painting, hanging scroll. Laozi on water buffalo, holding scroll in right hand. Signed and sealed.

 by Igarashi Shunmel, 18th century, paint and ink on silk

道德經  - 第六章

谷神不死，是謂玄牝。

玄牝之門，是謂天地根。

綿綿若存，用之不勤。

Daodejing - Chapter Six

The Dao is called the great mother.

Empty yet inexhaustible, it gives birth to infinite worlds.

It is always present within you. 

You can use it any way you want.

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=929
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 15:29 and ends at 15:55.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Five

 

道德經  - 第五章

天地不仁，以萬物為芻[1]狗；

聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。

天地之間，其猶橐[2]籥[3]乎？

虛而不屈，動而愈出。

多言數窮，不如守中。

Daodejing - Chapter Five

The Dao doesn't take sides, it gives birth to both good and evil.

The master doesn't take sides, she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Dao is like a bellows, it is empty yet infinitely capable.

The more you use it, the more it produces.

The more you talk of it, the less you understand.

Hold on to the centre.

Note:

1. 芻: [man: chu2] [can: co1] - mow, cut grass; hay, fodder.
2. 橐: [man:tuo2] [can:tok3] - a sack, a bag opening at both ends
3. 籥: [man:yue4] [can:joek6] - key; woodwind instrument

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=882
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 14:45 and ends at 15:29.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Four

 

Confucius meets Laozi, Shih Kang, Yuan dynasty

By Shih Kang - http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln471/pix.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org

 道德經  - 第四章

道沖而用之或不盈。

淵兮似萬物之宗。

挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵。

湛兮似或存。

吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。

Daodejing - Chapter Four

The Dao is like a well, used but never used up.

It is like the eternal void, filled with infinite possibilities.

It is hidden but always present.

I don't know who gave birth to it. 

It is older than God. 

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=854
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 14:15 and ends at 14:45.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Three

 

Wikisource:- Category: Laozi, woodcuts of China

道德經  - 第三章

不尚賢，使民不爭；

不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；

不見可欲，使心不亂。

是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，弱其志，強其骨。

常使民無知無欲。

使夫知者不敢為也。

為無為，則無不治。

Daodejing - Chapter Three

If you over-esteem great men, people become powerless.

If you over-value possessions, people begin to steal.

The master leads by emptying people's minds, and filling their cores,  

by weakening their ambition, and toughening their resolve.

He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire,  

and creates confusion in those who think that they know.

Practice not doing, and everything will fall into place.

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu:  https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=795
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 13:15 and ends at 14:15.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Daodejing - Chapter Two

 

Painting of Laozi from Wikisource.  Source of the painting is not identified.

道德經  - 第二章

天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。

皆知善之為善，斯不善已。

故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。

是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教；萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有。為而不恃，功成而弗居。

夫唯弗居，是以不去。

Daodejing - Chapter Two

When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly.

When people see some things as good, other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other; difficult and easy support each other; long and short define each other; high and low depend on each other; musical notes and tones harmonise with each other [4], before and after follow each other.

Therefore the master acts without doing anything, and teaches without saying anything.

Things arise and she lets them come.  

Things disappear and she lets them go.

She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect.

When her work is done, she forgets it.

That is why it lasts forever. 

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu:  https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=715 
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 11:56 and ends at 13:15.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing
4. This phrase is missing in Stephen Mitchell's translation, but is generally in Chinese versions and other translations. 

Daodejing - Chapter One

The YouTube video above "Trekking Qingyuan Mountain in Quanzhou and saw a magical landscape" shows the surroundings of the stone sculpture of Laozi.

The stone sculpture of Laozi, located north of Quanzhou at the foot of Mount Qingyuan.  Mount Qingyuan (Chinese: 清源山) is a mountain and national park in Fujian Province, located in the eastern region of China, close to the Taiwan Strait.  The statue of Laozi is famed as being the largest stone carving of him made during the Song Dynasty (960 to 1279). It measures 8.01m in length, 6.85m in width, and 5.63m in height, occupying an area of 55 square metres.

Laozi or old master is traditionally believed to be the author of Daodejing (道德經).  The following is the Chinese and English translation of the Chapter one of Daodejing.  Daodejing has 81 chapters. You can find the Chinese and English translation (James Legge version) in ctext.org: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing 

道德經  - 第一章

道可道，非常道。

名可名，非常名。

無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。

故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。

此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。 

玄之又玄，衆妙之門。

Daodejing - Chapter One

The Dao that can be told, is not the eternal Dao.

The name that can be named, is not the eternal name.

The unnameable is the eternally real.  

Naming is the origin of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery; caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations, arise from the same source. 

This source is called darkness. 

Darkness within darkness, the gateway to all understanding.

Some questions

• Do you agree with the first sentence - "The Dao that can be told, is not the eternal Dao."?
• Does that idea agree with Karl Jaspers' idea of philosophy?
• What is the significance of this sentence - "The name that can be named, is not the eternal name."?
• Is it true that "The unnameable is the eternally real." and  "Naming is the origin of all particular things."?
• Is it true that "Free from desire, you realize the mystery; caught in desire, you see only the manifestations."?

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu -  https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk
2. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

The three mysteries of reality

The topic of "The three mysteries of reality" was suggested by merian for discussion.  We will discuss this topic later in the year (2023).

The above picture mentions concepts that could be confusing for most.  We will base our discussion on the following YouTube videos. 

Quantum Consciousness series 

on YouTube by Justin Riddle

#1 - Six Arguments for Quantum Consciousness, and why you should care

https://youtu.be/9nwcbfMHNf8

#2 - Three World Model: the physical universe, conscious beings, and mathematics

https://youtu.be/8ic3qYSSk30

#3 - Three Quantum Principles: the fundamentals of quantum physics and their relation to mind

https://youtu.be/WB2re3t3S-s

Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics

You may find the following video by Sabine Hossenfelder of interest too.  I had to watch this video several times to try to make some sense of what the presenter was saying.  Nevertheless, you may find it entertaining though.

Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics: How are they related?