Source Word
Benardete's paradox
Proper noun
(philosophy)
A
philosophical
problem
whereby
a
man
intends
to
walk
a
mile
from
a
particular
point,
but
an
infinity
of
gods
separately
plan
to
obstruct
him.
One
of
them
will
raise
a
barrier
to
stop
his
further
advance
if
he
reaches
the
half-mile
point,
a
second
if
he
reaches
the
quarter-mile
point,
a
third
if
he
goes
one-eighth
of
a
mile,
and
so
on
ad
infinitum.
The
paradox
involves
the
fact
that
(i)
the
man
cannot
begin
walking,
because
a
barrier
will
stop
him
even
at
the
shortest
distance,
but
(ii)
if
he
does
not
begin
walking,
no
barrier
will
rise.
Japanese Meaning
哲学的な逆説。ある男が特定の地点から1マイル歩こうとする際、無限に存在する神々がそれぞれ別々に男の進む方向を妨害しようと計画する現象を指す。具体的には、男が半マイル地点に達した場合に一人の神が障壁を立て、1/4マイル地点で別の神が、1/8マイル地点でさらに別の神がと、無限に障壁が立てられるため、男は歩き始めるとすぐに止められてしまうが、一方で歩き始めなければ障壁は現れないというジレンマが生じる。
Sense（1）
(philosophy)
A
philosophical
problem
whereby
a
man
intends
to
walk
a
mile
from
a
particular
point,
but
an
infinity
of
gods
separately
plan
to
obstruct
him.
One
of
them
will
raise
a
barrier
to
stop
his
further
advance
if
he
reaches
the
half-mile
point,
a
second
if
he
reaches
the
quarter-mile
point,
a
third
if
he
goes
one-eighth
of
a
mile,
and
so
on
ad
infinitum.
The
paradox
involves
the
fact
that
(i)
the
man
cannot
begin
walking,
because
a
barrier
will
stop
him
even
at
the
shortest
distance,
but
(ii)
if
he
does
not
begin
walking,
no
barrier
will
rise.
