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The Paradoxes

Zeno of Elea·Greek·fragmentary

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Zeno's paradoxes survive through Aristotle's reports. They argue that motion, plurality, and space lead to contradiction if you accept the common-sense view of the world.

Achilles and the Tortoise: the slower runner will never be overtaken by the fastest, since the pursuer must first reach the point from which the pursued started, and in that time the slower will have advanced some distance.

The Arrow: if at every instant an arrow in flight occupies a space equal to itself, it is at rest at every instant. And if it is at rest at every instant, it never moves.

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