English Dictionary

Benardete's paradox

固有名詞

(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.

日本語の意味

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。

When discussing free will, she repeatedly cited Benardete's paradox to illustrate how an infinite sequence of preventative barriers can prevent any movement before it even begins.

自由意志について議論する際、彼女はしばしば、ある地点から1マイル歩こうとする男が、無限の数の神々がそれぞれ半マイル、四分のマイル、八分のマイル…の地点で障壁を立てるために歩き始められないとする逆説を引用して、無限の障壁が動きを始めることをいかに妨げるかを示した。

意味（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.