philosophy paper 2
Valerielee
UnderstandingMooresParadox.pdf
2/19/2018
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Phil 2: Puzzles and Paradoxes
Prof. Sven Bernecker
University of California, Irvine
Understanding Moore‘s
Paradox
George Edward "G.E.“
Moore (1873 – 1958)
Moore was a British
philosopher who taught at the
University of Cambridge. He
worked in ethics,
epistemology, and
metaphysics.
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Logical vs. Performative Contradiction
• A logical contradiction is the conjunction of a statement p and
its denial not-p. According to the law of non-contradiction
(more or less the same as the principle of bivalence), a
statement and its denial cannot both be true.
Examples:
– It is raining and it is not raining.
– I know that nothing can be known.
– All general claims have exceptions.
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A performative contradiction occurs when the content of a statement
contradicts either the act of asserting it or the presuppositions of
asserting it. The contradiction is between the act of assertion and the
content asserted.
Examples:
• “I am not here.”
• “I cannot speak any English.”
• “Nothing exists.”
• “I am not thinking about anything.”
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A performative contradiction is not a
logical contradiction because it does
not violate the law of non-contradiction.
The above utterances may be true.
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• Some versions of the liar‘s paradox are performative
contradictions.
• A Cretan who intends to speak the truth while saying “All
Cretans are always liars“ commits a performative
contradiction. If this statement is true, then it is false (because
a Cretan has told the truth); conversely, if his statement is
false, then it is true (because a Cretan is lying).
• The liar‘s paradox is both a performative and a logical
contradiction.
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Moore‘s Paradox
1. “It is raining but I don‘t believe it is“ (Moore 1942: 543)
2. “I went to the pictures last Tuesday but I don‘t believe that I did“
(Moore 1942: 543)
3. “I believe that he has gone out, but he has not“ (Moore 1944:
204)
Moore claims that it is “absurd“ or “odd“ to assert statements like
(1)-(3).
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Moorean statements have either of two forms:
1
“Omissive“ because it self-reports a lack of true belief.
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(I believe that p & not-p) ≡ (not-p & I believe that p)
(not-p & I believe that p) ≡ (p & I believe that not-p)
(“Commissive“ because it self-reports a mistake in belief.)
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Omissive form: p & I do not believe that p
Commissive form I: I believe that p, but it is not the case that p
Commissive form II: p & I believe that not-p
• Moorean statements are not logical contradictions. If the Moorean
statement (1) were a logical contradiction, it would be a necessary
falsehood and hence the negation of (1) would have to be a
necessary truth. But
Negation-1. “Either it is not raining or I believe it is raining“
is not a necessary truth. This statement could be false. So Moorean
statements are different from liar-type statements.
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Even though Moorean statements are not logical contradictions asserting
them seems absurd or self-defeating in much the same way as asserting a
contradiction.
p & I do not believe that p
• It can be true at a particular time both that p, and that I do not believe
that p.
• I can assert or believe one of the two at a particular time.
• I cannot without absurdity assert or believe both of them at the same
time.
Moore‘s paradox is the problem of explaining why Moorean statements
cannot be sincerely asserted without absurdity.
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Fake Moorean Statements
• The absurdity of (1) is not present in its future and past tense
counterparts:
- “It is raining but I did not believe so in the past“
- “It is raining but I will believe otherwise in the future“
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• The absurdity of (1) is not present in the third (and second)
person counterpart:
- “It is raining but he believes that it is not raining“
• The absurdity of (1) is not present in its modal counterpart:
- “It is raining but I it is possible that I don‘t believe it“
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• The first person plural counterparts of (1) does preserves the
absurdity:
- “It is raining but we believe that it is not raining“
• The absurdity of Moorean statements is also preserved if they
are only thought but not uttered.
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Genuine Moorean Statements
• “I have no beliefs now”
• “Although you think that all my opinions are mistaken, you are
always right”
• “God knows that we are not theists”
• “The atheism of my mother’s nieceless brother’s only nephew
angers God”
• “I don’t believe that this sentence expresses a truth”
• “It is raining but I don’t believe that I believe that it is raining”
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• “I promise that I shall be there, but I haven’t the least intention
of being there.”
• “I congratulate you on your success, but I’m not glad that
you’re successful and I don’t believe you earned it.”
• “What time is it? But I don‘t want to know what time it is“
Moore‘s paradox is the problem of explaining why Moorean statements
cannot be sincerely asserted without absurdity.
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