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Barber Paradox (Russell's Paradox)


rookie1ja
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Why couldn't someone who does shave himself/herself shave the barber? It only states that the barber shaves those only who do not shave himself/herself. So someone who shaves himself/herself can shave someone else, since they are not the barber. And since this paradox does not state that only barbers can shave others, those who shave themselves can shave others. That was just my first impression.

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Why couldn't someone who does shave himself/herself shave the barber?

He/she could, but we'd still have our paradox. Either:

-- the barber would no longer shave himself (so would be required by the terms of the problem to shave himself); or...

-- the barber would continue to shave himself himself as well (so would be required by the terms of the problem NOT to shave himself).

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  • 3 weeks later...

i don't even get the paradox - -

Someone that shaves himself can shave the barber, can't he? Since he shaves himself, the barber doesn't shave him, and he can then shave the barber?

How hard and confusing can this be?

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Someone that shaves himself can shave the barber, can't he? Since he shaves himself, the barber doesn't shave him, and he can then shave the barber?

Just as with the previous suggestion: he could, but we'd still have our paradox. Either:

-- the barber would no longer shave himself (so would be required by the terms of the problem to shave himself); or...

-- the barber would continue to shave himself himself as well (so would be required by the terms of the problem NOT to shave himself).

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  • 2 weeks later...
Perhaps there is another barber in the village and many of the villagers get shaved by him. This being the case our barber could keep his promise to shave everyone who does not shave him/her self including himself, because he too gets shaved by the other barber.

Ah but ,peartree, you see with parodys there is no such thing as mabes. But then again I can't think of an answer so your answer is (*not exsacly but I couldnt think of a better phrase)better than nothing ( *see eternal bliss or bread)

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  • 1 month later...

the answer is very simple, the statement is false

if you really wanted to dive in head first into an empty pool then....

the barber shaves babies because babies do not shave themselves and he shaves everyone

the card paradox is a good one

because one statement is always true, but which

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We are thinking about this problem in an analogue way. Think of it in a series of steps. The Barber shaves anyone who does not shave themselves. therefore, he shaves himself because at that point he was not shorn. After this, he had shaved himself, so he does not further shave himself. Assuming that "shave" is defined as a complete shave.

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This is the original paradox, one that can't be solved

In a village, the barber shaves everyone who does not shave himself/herself, but no one else.

Who shaves the barber?

I guess anyone capable of shaving someone else besides the barber could do it.

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  • 1 month later...

I guess anyone capable of shaving someone else besides the barber could do it.

It's true that others who do not shave themselves can shave the barber but the paradox still exists as the barber is now not shaving himself and if we assume the barber is included in "everyone" he would have to shave himself.....

Edited by ConfusionZ
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  • 2 weeks later...

This is the original paradox, one that can't be solved

In a village, the barber shaves everyone who does not shave himself/herself, but no one else.

Who shaves the barber?

Someone who shaves themself can shave the barber?

(I say someone who shaves themselves since I wouldn't want someone who can't shave to shave me, unless they had steady hands like a Dr)

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  • 2 weeks later...

The fundamental statement in this paradox relates to the barber shaving others. no where does it say who can shave the barber. therefore if there is another barber in the village, the second barber can shave the barber in question.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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