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From: steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.religion
Subject: Re: Logical paradoxes in the notion of omnipotence?
Message-ID: <149@scc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Sep-84 17:35:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: scc.149
Posted: Sat Sep 15 17:35:33 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 03:27:24 EDT
References: <213@laidbak.UUCP> <1804@ucbvax.ARPA> <192@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: Personetics, Inc. - Santa Cruz, Calif.
Lines: 38

***

	The sentence:

	This sentence is false.

is considered logically meaningless because of a confusion of logical
levels.  The sentence is on the "object level".  Whether or not
the sentence is true is a meta-level,  because is is talking about the
sentence.

	Saying that the universe was created is a statement about the
universe.  If the creator is one of the things in the universe it
is the same level confusion.  

	Likewise with "omnipotance".   If we say

	X is omnipotant

	and if X makes the statement

	I am omnipotant

	then we have the Epimenidies paradox.  Emimenidies was a Createn
who said "All Createns are liars".   The "paradox" is not really
a paradox because when a lower logical level makes statements about
a higher logical level the statments are considered logically meaningless.
They are neither true nor false, but ill-formed and undefined.

-- 
"Damn, more bats  ... Someone get me a ruler!"

	Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382
	109 Torrey Pine Terr.
	Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060
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