Paradoxes

A Storied Shooting: Liberty Valance and the Paradox of Sovereignty

by Joshua Dienstag

Paradoxical Authorship: Tracing Authority in the Gorakhbāṇī

by Christine Marrewa-Karwoski

forthcoming publication

L'accompagnement et sa masse critique: Du Trou noir au Big Bang

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff, M. (2003, May). L’accompagnement et sa masse critique: Du trou noir au Big Bang [Coaching and its Critical Mass: From the Black Hole to the Big Bang]. Fontevraud International Conference. Fontevraud, France.

Partant du constat que la notion d'accompagnement regroupe un champ très vaste de pratiques, s'appuyant sur des... more Partant du constat que la notion d'accompagnement regroupe un champ très vaste de pratiques, s'appuyant sur des apports théoriques tout aussi diversifiés, ce texte propose une approche sémiotique susceptible de faciliter leur recoupement et l'explicitation de certains des paradoxes qui les traversent. Partant de réflexions développées au cours de ces dernières années en Sciences de l'éducation, les significations attribuées à l'idée d'accompagnement sont revisitées à partir de la dimension "critique" qui peut leur être associée. Quatre catégories de paradoxes sont ainsi envisagées: les implicites d'un accompagnement à portée critique, les paradoxes inhérents à la pluralité des formes d'accompagnement, le paradoxe d'une institutionnalisation de pratiques émancipatrices et les paradoxes inhérents à la nature à la fois générique et singulière des pratiques d'accompagnement. La mise en exergue de double contraintes inhérentes à la portée critique de l'accompagnement conduit finalement à interroger la nature du rapport au savoir qu'implique une compréhension de ces enjeux dans une perspective qui n'en réduise pas la complexité.

Paradoxes de l’accompagnement et (r)éveil d’une pensée critique [Paradoxes of Coaching and Critical Thinking]

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2007). Paradoxes de l’accompagnement et (r)éveil d’une pensée critique [Paradoxes of Coaching and Critical Thinking]. In J.-P. Boutinet, N. Denoyel, G. Pineau, J.-Y. Robin (Ed.). Penser l’accompagnement adulte [Conceiving the Coaching of Adults] (pp. 227-242). Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

Partant du constat que la notion d'accompagnement regroupe un champ très vaste de pratiques, s'appuyant sur des... more Partant du constat que la notion d'accompagnement regroupe un champ très vaste de pratiques, s'appuyant sur des apports théoriques tout aussi diversifiés, ce texte propose une approche sémiotique susceptible de faciliter leur recoupement et l'explicitation de certains des paradoxes qui les traversent. Partant de réflexions développées au cours de ces dernières années en Sciences de l'éducation, les significations attribuées à l'idée d'accompagnement sont revisitées à partir de la dimension "critique" qui peut leur être associée. Quatre catégories de paradoxes sont ainsi envisagées: les implicites d'un accompagnement à portée critique, les paradoxes inhérents à la pluralité des formes d'accompagnement, le paradoxe d'une institutionnalisation de pratiques émancipatrices et les paradoxes inhérents à la nature à la fois générique et singulière des pratiques d'accompagnement. La mise en exergue de double contraintes inhérentes à la portée critique de l'accompagnement conduit finalement à interroger la nature du rapport au savoir qu'implique une compréhension de ces enjeux dans une perspective qui n'en réduise pas la complexité.

How Likely is Simpson's Paradox?

by Marios Pavlides

The American Statistician. August 1, 2009, 63(3): 226-233. doi:10.1198/tast.2009.09007.

What proportion of all 2×2×2 contingency tables exhibit Simpson’s Paradox? An exact answer is obtained for large... more What proportion of all 2×2×2 contingency tables exhibit Simpson’s Paradox? An exact answer is obtained for large sample sizes and extended to 2×2×ℓ tables by Monte Carlo approximation. Conditional probabilities of the occurrence of Simpson’s Paradox are also derived. If the observed cell proportions satisfy a Simpson reversal, the posterior probability that the population parameters satisfy the same reversal is obtained. This Bayesian analysis is applied to the well-known Simpson reversal of the 1995–1997 batting averages of Derek Jeter and David Justice.

Object Identity Over Time

by Søren Schack Andersen

In this paper I investigate the thought experiment of “The Ship of Theseus” in an attempt to compose an alternative... more In this paper I investigate the thought experiment of “The Ship of Theseus” in an attempt to compose an alternative theory, within the debate of persistence, which is capable of accounting for object identity. This I do by first using the unique bundle theory of universals to show how the problem presented by the thought experiment is in fact no problem at all, according to an analysis of the object’s content. However, according to our common sense, these problems persist and are unexplainable by the dominant theories of continuity of form and identity of original parts. After showing how the two theories are unsuccessful in explaining the problem, and only serve to bring more problems into the debate, I introduce the notion of an object’s role as grounding our common sense notion of identity. After clarifying the notion of a role as the strictly dependent continuing potential functions of an object I show how this new role-theory is capable of solving the problem introduced by the original thought experiment and also the mentioned problems introduced by the continuity of form and identity of original parts theories. In conclusion I show how the role-theory is capable of avoiding the problem of an object’s “history” that no other theory can explain.

'Paradoxe sur le portrait : Auto-portrait de Diderot en Montaigne', Diderot Studies, XXX (2007), pp. 197-210

by Kate Tunstall

Chrysippus Confronts the Liar: The Case for Stoic Cassationism

by Michael Papazian

The Stoic philosopher Chrysippus wrote extensively on the liar paradox, but unfortunately the extant testimony on his... more The Stoic philosopher Chrysippus wrote extensively on the liar paradox, but unfortunately the extant testimony on his response to the paradox is meager and mainly hostile. Modern scholars, beginning with Alexander Rüstow in the first decade of the twentieth century, have attempted to reconstruct Chrysippus’ solution. Rüstow argued that Chrysippus advanced a cassationist solution, that is, one in which sentences such as ‘I am speaking falsely’ do not express propositions. Two more recent scholars, Walter Cavini and Mario Mignucci, have rejected Rüstow's thesis that Chrysippus used a cassationist approach. Each has proposed his own thesis about Chrysippus’ solution. I argue that Rüstow's view is fundamentally correct, and that the cassationist thesis gains greater plausibility when viewed in light of a passage in Sextus Empiricus’ Adversus mathematicos that the previous commentators have ignored, and when understood within the broader context of Stoic logical theory and philosophy of language. I close with a brief remark on the significance of Chrysippus’ work for the modern debate on the semantic paradoxes.

Review to M. C. Figorilli, "Meglio ignorante che dotto. L'elogio paradossale in prosa nel Cinquecento", Liguori, Naples 2008

by Lorenzo Franceschini

Published in <Filologia e critica>, XXXIV, III, 2009, p. 461-466.

Paradox and Deparadoxization: Studying IT Governance through Luhmann's theory of social systems

by Johan Magnusson

Constrained Consequence

by Ivan Varzinczak

Godelizing the Yablo sequence

by Rafał Urbaniak

Co-authored with Cezary Cieslinski (Early cooperation with Graham Leach-Krouse, who couldn't continue due to other commitments.)

We investigate what happens when `truth' is replaced with `provability' in Yablo's paradox. By diagonalization,... more We investigate what happens when `truth' is replaced with `provability' in Yablo's paradox. By diagonalization, appropriate sequences of sentences can be constructed. Such sequences contain no sentence decided by the background consistent and sufficiently strong arithmetical theory. If the provability predicate satisfies the derivability conditions, each such sentence is provably equivalent to the consistency statement and to the Godel sentence. Thus each two such sentences are provably equivalent to each other. The same holds for the arithmetization of the existential Yablo paradox. We also look at a formulation which employs Rosser's provability predicate.

Paradigms and paradoxes

by John Ma

From the wonderful "Studi Ellenistici" series run by Biagio Virgilio.

This paper proposes to examine several cardinal issues in Hellenistic history as part of "paradoxes",... more This paper proposes to examine several cardinal issues in Hellenistic history as part of "paradoxes", problems whose wrinkles should not be ironed out. It takes a swipe at some archaeologists' propensity to look for the reassurance of coherence rather than discordance; argues that such phenomena of discordance are to be viewed dialetically— as paradoxes; tries to extend this model to other periods of ancient history. It is an epideictic, irenic piece (with some theoretical problems) that once provoked a very hostile reaction.

Semantic Paradoxes and Transparent Intensional Logic

by Jiri Raclavsky

to appear in Logica 2011 proceedings

The paper describes the solution to semantic paradoxes pioneered by Pavel Tichý and further developed by the present... more The paper describes the solution to semantic paradoxes pioneered by Pavel Tichý and further developed by the present author. Its main feature is an examination (and then refutation) of the hidden premise of paradoxes that the paradox-producing expression really means what it seems to mean. Semantic concepts are explicated as relative to language, thus also language is explicated. The so-called ‘explicit approach’ easily treats paradoxes in which language is explicitly referred to. The residual paradoxes are solved by the ‘implicit approach’ which employs ideas made explicit by the former one.

A Note on Freedom from Detachment in the Logic of Paradox

by Jeremy Seligman

Co-authored with Jc Beall and Thomas Forster. To appear in NDJFL.

We shed light on an old problem by showing that the logic LP cannot define a binary connective ⊙ obeying detachment in... more We shed light on an old problem by showing that the logic LP cannot define a binary connective ⊙ obeying detachment in the sense that every valuation satisfying p and (p ⊙ q) also satisfies q, except trivially. We derive this as a corollary of a more general result with an interpolation-like flavor.

On what truth is about

by Ignacio Ojea

Aporetic and Nonaporetic Paradoxes from the Viewpoint of an Axiomatized Contradictorial Fuzzy Set-Theory

by Lorenzo Peña

The Paradox of Being a Woman Teacher

by Maria Tamboukou

In this article I follow genealogical lines of analysis in an attempt to map the different discourses and practices... more In this article I follow genealogical lines of analysis in an attempt to map the different discourses and practices that interweave women’s position in education today. I have theorised education
as a nexus of created paradoxical spaces, where the female self has attempted to surpass closed boundaries and to question the dichotomy of the feminised private and/or the masculine public. I have also considered the importance of time restrictions upon women’s lives and have paid attention to the multifarious ways these lives are highly structured by specific space/time regulations. The genealogical cartography I have drawn, depicts various positions, where the female self has created parodic unities and temporary coalitions. Finally in tracing exit points that education has offered women, I have considered some of the implications of feminist theories for the subversion of the various dilemmas and dichotomies the female
subject has lived through.

The Conway paradox: Its solution in an epistemic framework

by Martin Stokhof

In: J. Groenendijk, T. Janssen & M. Stokhof (eds), Formal Methods in the Study of Language. Vol. I, Amsterdam: Mathematical Centre, 1981, 87–111 Reprinted in: J. Groenendijk, T. Janssen & M. Stokhof (eds), Truth, Interpretation and Information, Dordrecht: Foris, 1984, 159–182
coauthored with J. Groenendijk, P. van Emde Boas

Paradoxes In Teaching

by Staffan Larsson

published: Larsson, S. (1983) Paradoxes in teaching. Instructional Science,12, 355-365.