Paradox Lost

Zusatztext

<p></p><p><i>Paradox Lost</i> covers ten of philosophy¿s most fascinating paradoxes, in which seemingly compelling reasoning leads to absurd conclusions. The following paradoxes are included: </p> <p></p><ul><li>The Liar Paradox, in which a sentence says of itself that it is false. Is the sentence true or false? </li><li>The Sorites Paradox, in which we imagine removing grains of sand one at a time from a heap of sand. Is there a particular grain whose removal converts the heap to a non-heap? </li><li>The Puzzle of the Self-Torturer, in which a series of seemingly rational choices has us accepting a life of excruciating pain, in exchange for millions of dollars. </li><li>Newcomb¿s Problem, in which we seemingly maximize our expected profit by taking an unknown sum of money, rather than taking the same sum plus $1000. </li><li>The Surprise Quiz Paradox, in which a professor finds that it is impossible to give a surprise quiz on any particular day of the week . . . butalso that if this is so, then a surprise quiz can be given on any day. </li><li>The Two Envelope Paradox, in which we are asked to choose between two indistinguishable envelopes, and it is seemingly shown that each envelope is preferable to the other. </li><li>The Ravens Paradox, in which observing a purple shoe provides evidence that all ravens are black. </li><li>The Shooting Room Paradox, in which a deadly game kills 90% of all who play, yet each individual¿s survival turns on the flip of a fair coin. </li></ul><p></p> <p>Each paradox is clearly described, common mistakes are explored, and a clear, logical solution offered. <i>Paradox Lost</i> will appeal to professional philosophers, students of philosophy, and all who love intellectual puzzles.</p> <p></p>

Autorenportrait

<p>Michael Huemer is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. He is the author of four other bestselling philosophy books, including <i>The Problem of Political Authority</i>, the winner of the 2013 PROSE Award for philosophy.</p>

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