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Description
This module will be focused on paradoxes. A paradox is a set of jointly inconsistent claims each of which is individually plausible. Paradoxes are not merely entertaining puzzles; they also raise serious philosophical problems. In many cases, they lead us to rethink basic assumptions about some of our most fundamental concepts, including space, time, motion, truth, knowledge, and belief. In this module, we will examine several paradoxes and the philosophical issues they raise. Along the way, students will be introduced to some central conceptual and formal tools that are relevant not only to the paradoxes but also to a wide range of other philosophical debates.
Paradoxes to be discussed may include: Zeno鈥檚 paradoxes about space, time and motion; paradoxes of infinity (the Ross-Littlewood paradox, Benardete鈥檚 paradox); the Sorites paradox; logical and semantic paradoxes (Russell鈥檚 paradox and the Liar paradox); paradoxes of rationality (Newcomb鈥檚 problem, Prisoner鈥檚 Dilemma); paradoxes of belief and knowledge (the surprise examination paradox, the preface paradox, the lottery paradox); and paradoxes of personal identity, coincidence, time travel, and modal variation.
Please note that the course combines philosophical and formal elements. A good knowledge of first-order (predicate) logic is presupposed.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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