Epimenides paradox

The paradox of Epimenides is the first known early form of the liar paradox and is in the popular version: " Epimenides the Cretan said. Cretans are liars "

Historical Background

Reported is the paradox through the New Testament. In Paul's letter to Titus, the apostle writes about the Cretans and quoted and commented here a verse of an unnamed Cretan author, Titus 1.12 EU:

The hexameters of a seal is not obtained ( 150-215 AD), the Epimenides of Crete ( 5th, 6th or 7th century BC ), attributed since Clement of Alexandria.

The Cretan paradox in 1908 classified by Bertrand Russell ranks first in the series of mathematical and logical paradoxes and has since been the subject of modern philosophical and mathematical logic. He brought it in the above-quoted popular short form.

Problems and solutions

When Epimenides saying is not a paradox in the sense of an antinomy, because it can not derive a logical contradiction. Rather, there are several consistent solutions, depending on how you clarified the term " liar ":

The Epimenides saying but results in the tightening by Bertrand Russell "A man says I'm lying just " the real liar paradox because the statement refers only to the current utterance.

Variant

In the Old Testament we find already in the book of Psalms 116.11 EU a more general form:

" I said in my haste, All men are liars! "