2007-07-21 18:27:28 · 14 answers · asked by kittana! 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
If truth does not exist, the statement “truth does not exist” is true, thus proving that truth does exist.
And thats the truth!
2007-07-21 18:30:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
like most paradoxes, it's a language game. you say that nihilists don't believe in truth, and this is a paradox because then how could their own statement be true.
but truth has more than one meaning. nihilists don't believe in one kind of truth - namely, ethical truth. the paradox pretends they don't believe in logical or mathematical truth. it would be pretty funny if there was a philosophical movement denying that 2 + 2 = 4. of course, nihilists aren't rejecting math or logic - they're just rejecting it as a basis for HUMAN values. in math, you can write a proof for any true statement. in ethics, you cannot, because there are no fundamental laws to work with. at some point, your reasoning is going to boil down to, "because it just is".
the only time there are fundamental laws is when a god specifies them. for example, if you consider the bible infallible, then you figure out what all the laws are, and then you can color everything righteous or wicked by reasoning them back to the law.
but nihilists either don't believe in god, or don't believe his/her opinion counts more than anyone else's.
2007-07-21 20:02:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow! Allot of good "LONG" answers to this question. I fail to see what Contradiction has to do with anything - as the question was why is it a paradox? All contradictions are not paradox`s correct?
The paradox is - The proposition that there is no truth, is in itself proposing a truth. This is a "Paradox" because by saying there is no truth, is saying what you just uttered is false as well.
Paradox - There is no truth. What I just said is false. There is truth.
Contradiction - I`m right and I`m wrong.
Paradox - I`m right because I`m wrong.
See the difference?
2007-07-25 12:09:43 · answer #3 · answered by Future 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no paradox, just a bunch of people who misunderstand it and twist words to sound correct.
Nihilism is not the "belief in nothing", it is not the assertion that "truth does not exist", and it does not mean "everything is meaningless" in an ABSOLUTE sense, which would be required for it to be a paradox.
Nihilism is assertion that faith is pointless. To believe something without evidence. No paradox.
Nihilists also believe, much like myself, that >physically<, everything is meaningless. This part of Nihilism is usually equivicated to 'Existentialism'. Nihilist do not deny that the meta-physical realm of ideas and concepts are meaningful. 1+1=2 has meaning. Everyword word in the dictionary has a meaning. But those are ideas and concepts that by the definition of 'meaning', have meaning. But we feel there is no meaning to life, and everything about it. People confuse this with literally "everything is meaningless". not true.
2007-07-21 20:55:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
To believe in nothing is to declare that you have discovered that everyone is acting under a delusion of purpose. You have uncovered the fact that all is illusory and we cannot know anything. The Paradox is that if that is a real discovery than you suddenly have escaped delusion and entered into an authentic understanding of our purpose. But you have just denied that any such purpose can exist.
2007-07-21 18:34:13 · answer #5 · answered by Sowcratees 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nihilistic thought proposes that there is nothing real, nothing true, no certainties, no complete knowledge. Yet how did they decide that without judgment on their own part? The overwhelming paradox, briefly, is that Nihilists use those parameters to discern their non-existence. @8-)
2016-05-20 05:58:00 · answer #6 · answered by carmel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "paradox" is this: The nihilist purports that the meaning of human existence is that it is meaningless. Thus in the assertion that there is no meaning, one actually assents to a universal principle by which all of reality can be interpreted-- inasmuch as this principle of meaninglessness exists, one can say that there is "meaning" to existence.
2007-07-22 02:28:10 · answer #7 · answered by Timaeus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply...it's bullcrap.... you can't deny the existance of your own existance. You can't say you have no worth because you aren't even there because you are. It's convoluted logic...For example...if you want to go 1 mile to a place, first you have to go 1/2 mile, then 1/2 that distance....1/4 mile...if you keep on doing that logically you can't get there. You always have to go half the distance before, so you can't get there, ever, logically..but you can...right? The nihistic paradox is quite the same thing...logic is a good tool, but not a rule. Great question!
2007-07-21 18:52:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Sure.
Nihilism can be expressed either as:
A) Nothing exists OR
B) Everything is meaningless.
Descartes "I think therefore I am." addresses paradox A.
If nothing exists, who is pondering non-existence.
B is also paradoxical. If everything is meaningless than the statement "Everything is meaningless" is also meaningless. If it doesn't mean anything, why did you say it?
2007-07-21 18:37:35 · answer #9 · answered by Phoenix Quill 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think that pertains to the statement, "there are No absolutes"
meaning there is nothing in this world to which an exception can be found or nothing is true all the time.
By proclaiming, "there are no absolutes", You have made a statement of fact allowing for no exceptions. Which is a violation of the statement itself.
Does that help?
2007-07-21 18:45:36 · answer #10 · answered by Dr Awkward 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose you aren't supposed to care about anything, but something made you feel that you can't or makes you not care about anything through an unfortunate turn of events. SO perhaps ur trying not to care about anything since it may not be worth it. But really though you are feeling something through nihilism.
2007-07-21 18:33:08 · answer #11 · answered by nickp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋