Paradoxe

Paradoxe, in philosophy and logic, describes a statement or situation that defies intuition or appears self-contradictory, yet may reveal insight upon closer examination. The term comes from French, borrowed from Greek paradoxos, literally meaning “contrary to expectations” or “beside belief.”

Paradoxes are typically categorized as logical paradoxes, semantic paradoxes, or empirical paradoxes. Logical paradoxes arise from self-reference or inconsistent rules; notable examples include the Liar paradox (“This statement is false”), Russell’s paradox about the set of all sets that do not contain themselves, and the Barber paradox. Zeno’s paradoxes, such as Achilles and the Tortoise, illuminate problems related to motion, infinity, and division. Semantic paradoxes involve issues of truth and reference, while empirical paradoxes occur in data interpretation, such as Simpson’s paradox, where aggregated results conflict with subgroup trends.

Paradoxes play a central role in philosophy, logic, and mathematics because they expose hidden assumptions and the limits of theories. They are often resolved by clarifying definitions, adopting alternative logics (such as paraconsistent or non-classical logics), or restricting the problem domain. Some paradoxes remain open to interpretation, continuing to inform debates in set theory, the philosophy of language, and the foundations of mathematics. The concept of paradoxe in French similarly covers everyday situations that challenge expectations as well as formal contradictions.