Using the jester’s reasoning, it’s possible to make him believe that the earth is flat by writing down
“either this inscription is true and the earth is flat, or this inscription is false and the earth is not flat, but not both” this makes an unflat earth logically impossible!
I wonder what this says about the law of the excluded middle, I guess that it slides if self reference is involved.
It’s not the law of the excluded middle that’s the problem, it’s the jester’s assumption that the entire statement “either this …, or this..., but not both” is true. The jester reasons correctly under his assumptions, but fails to realize that he still has to discharge those assumptions before reaching reality.
Using the jester’s reasoning, it’s possible to make him believe that the earth is flat by writing down “either this inscription is true and the earth is flat, or this inscription is false and the earth is not flat, but not both” this makes an unflat earth logically impossible!
I wonder what this says about the law of the excluded middle, I guess that it slides if self reference is involved.
It’s not the law of the excluded middle that’s the problem, it’s the jester’s assumption that the entire statement “either this …, or this..., but not both” is true. The jester reasons correctly under his assumptions, but fails to realize that he still has to discharge those assumptions before reaching reality.