A paradox is a piece of reasoning that leads from apparently true premises, via apparently acceptable steps, to a conclusion that is contradictory or crazy.

In this course, we shall be searching for solutions to a number of paradoxes. Ultimately, we shall be looking for unified solutions. A solution is 'unified', if it shows there to be an underlying commonality between several paradoxes. It sometimes happens that some paradoxes which look entirely different from each other have deep similarities, such that a solution to one will almost automatically be a solution to all paradoxes in that group. So we need to first to get acquainted with a variety of paradoxes. Of course, getting acquainted with them is quite easy; solving them might be quite difficult.

There are three groups of paradoxes with which we shall be mostly dealing. The first are Sorites paradoxes, all of which have to do with vagueness. The second are paradoxes in the Liar family, the simplest case being where someone says 'What I am now saying is false'. Finally, we shall be dealing with paradoxes in the vicinity of the Surprise Examination.


Course's Details available at the Courses Website