Paradox

Paradox, in logic and mathematics, an apparently contradictory conclusion that is derived from what seem to be valid premises. Paradoxes have been known since the time of the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea in the 5th century bc. Many paradoxes, on inspection, prove to be based on false premises or arguments, or on incomplete presuppositions underlying the logical or mathematical systems involved. Other paradoxes, however, have been more difficult to resolve, and their study has contributed to the development of modern mathematics.

Semantic paradoxes depend on the structure of language, and paradox is often used as a rhetorical device in epigrams and poetry. The poet Alexander Pope referred to the paradox of the human condition in his Essay on Man.