Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00558)

Tom Robertson wrote:
> 
> Vincent wrote:
> 
> >Absolute truth can be about finite things. The last word in this
> >sentence is sentence. That is absolutely true, but doesn't mean much.
> 
> This is like the liar's paradox, which says something like "this
> statement is a lie."  The problem with statements such as these is
> that they have no definite referent.  To which sentence are you
> referring?  If the sentence in "the last word in this sentence is
> sentence" to which you are referring is "the last word in this
> sentence is sentence," then the sentence must be changed to read "the
> last word in the sentence "the last word in this sentence is sentence"
> is sentence.  But then you have the same problem all over again, and,
> in an attempt to have a definite referent, you must add another "the
> last word in this sentence is sentence," only to have the same
> problem, infinitely, always having the same part of it being
> indeterminate.  There is no such thing as a completely
> self-referential statement.

It is painfully obvious that you understood fully that the sentence
referred to the last word in itself. I really don't understand why you
pretend to be so confused. The sentence could be modified so it would
read "The last word, here typed, in this sentence is sentence." It all
goes to show that being shown the truth is not gauranteed to make you
wise. 

Vincent
-- 

vincent@dmv.com

http://home.dmv.com/~vincent/