English Dictionary

Buridan's ass

固有名詞

The hypothetical donkey, in context of certainly dying of hunger or thirst by being unable to choose between the two equidistant options.

日本語の意味

二者択一の状況で、どちらも同等に魅力的なために決断できず、結果的に行動を起こせず、問題が解決しない状態（例え）

In the debate about decision-making, he invoked Buridan's ass to illustrate what happens when two equally attractive options paralyze choice.

意思決定に関する議論の中で、彼は「等距離にある二つの選択肢の間で選べないために飢えや渇きで確実に死んでしまうという仮説上のロバ」を引き合いに出して、同等に魅力的な選択肢が意思決定を麻痺させるときに何が起きるかを示した。

意味（1）

The hypothetical donkey, in context of certainly dying of hunger or thirst by being unable to choose between the two equidistant options.

Buridan is best-known to philosophers for the example of Buridan's Ass, starving to death between two equidistant and equally tempting bales of hay, …

意味（2）

The hypothetical donkey, as a typical character of a number of philosophical paradoxes involving equally valuable incentives to action, and the nature of the possible choices and outcomes.

Since either haystack is better than starvation, and since neither haystack is known to be worse than the other, Buridan's ass has a good reason to choose either. Suppose it chooses haystack A, rejecting haystack B as well as starvation.