Premium
Paradox Redux
Author(s) -
Dell Paul F.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1981.tb01362.x
Subject(s) - premise , phenomenon , epistemology , observer (physics) , variety (cybernetics) , philosophy , psychology , computer science , physics , artificial intelligence , quantum mechanics
Paradox is inherently an epistemological phenomenon. The “existence” of parodox requires the premises and beliefs of an observer. There are no phenomena which are paradoxical in themselves—apart from an observer. The major premise that generates “paradox” is the (false) assumption that we live in an Aristotelian universe. This premise requires that self‐recursive phenomena be considered to be somehow unreal or illusory. Such epistemological (and ontological) disqualification of self‐recursive phenomena leads to a variety of consequences, perhaps the least of which is “paradox.” This paper argues that recursive ness is a fundamental phenomenon which, when ignored or denied, leads to destructiveness in our interactions with others.