Editing Epimenides paradox (section)

{{short description|Paradox revealing a problem with self-reference in logic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
[[File:Epimenides-poet.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Epimenides from "[[Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum]]"]]
The '''Epimenides paradox''' reveals a problem with [[self-reference]] in [[logic]]. It is named after the [[Crete|Cretan]] [[philosopher]] [[Epimenides]] of [[Knossos]] (alive circa 600 BC) who is credited with the original statement.<ref>[[Diels-Kranz]]: ''Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker'', 2005, I 3B1 (a fragment attributed to Epimenides and quoted by [[Clement of Alexandria]]).</ref> A typical description of the problem is given in the book ''[[Gödel, Escher, Bach]]'', by [[Douglas Hofstadter]]:

{{Blockquote|Epimenides was a Cretan who made the immortal statement: "All Cretans are liars."{{efn|{{langx|el|Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται}}}}}}

A [[paradox]] of [[self-reference]] arises when one considers whether it is possible for Epimenides to have spoken the truth.