What is a Paradox?

A paradox is a self-contradiction, also known as an oxymoron. It is a literary device that wraps something up in words that seem out of place. Its purpose is to draw the reader’s attention to something dual or contradictory and to make them think harder before accepting it. A classic example is William Carlos Williams’ “red wheelbarrow.”

Synonyms

Synonyms of paradox include incongruity, oddity, absurdity, enigmatic, oxymoron, antimony, and contradiction. These definitions can be found in various sources, including the English Thesaurus dictionary. If you don’t want to use a traditional dictionary, you can search for synonyms of paradox in a popular search engine.

A paradox is an example of a literary device. It sets up a situation or idea that at first appears contradictory but eventually resolves itself based on further thought and reflection. The resulting situation often sparks the reader’s interest and allows them to invest themselves in the literary work.

Examples

Paradoxes are literary devices that allow writers to present an idea counterintuitively. They can be used to illustrate a point or create a dramatic scenario. Examples of paradoxes include the cyclops in the novel Catch-22 and Yossarian in the World War II film Spectre.

A paradox is a clever way to present a different situation, which makes the writer’s work more satisfying to the reader. It can also help lift a poem or prose to a higher level of art or poetry. Paradoxes are often used in metaphysical poetry, which uses elaborate figurative language and original conceits.

Dialetheia

A dialetheia is a contradiction that appears in a given situation. For example, when someone says something is not a fact, they are committing an error. This error is an example of a contradiction in logic. This problem can arise in many different areas of philosophy, but it is particularly problematic for the Dialetheist position.

The Dialetheist’s solution is to posit a new perspective on a paradox instead of trying to explain it away. Instead of repeating the paradox, the dialetheist considers it a fact and constructs a new point of view on logic to explain it. Dialetheists claim that the contradiction is logically valid because they can supply new logic explaining its true meaning.

Logical paradox

A logical paradox is a problem that has no obvious solution. It can arise from a variety of situations. For example, it may occur when two statements are false, but the logical consequences are the same. For example, in the famous Penrose triangle, an object appears to be immovable but is movable.

In other cases, a statement seems true but is a contradiction or vice versa. These examples are known as logical paradoxes and are as old as logic itself. Philosophers use paradoxes to prove the limitations of human logic.

Meaning of oxymoron

An oxymoron is a phrase or word that contains two opposing meanings. The resulting apparent contradiction often serves as a rhetorical device and reveals a paradox. This paradox can be used to make a point or a statement. There are many uses for an oxymoron, which can be an exciting way to convey a message.

An example of an oxymoron is the city of Reno, a town in northern Nevada near the Oregon border. Reno is a little town but calls itself “The Biggest Little City in the World.” This slogan dates back to the early twentieth century when the town was striving to offer the same amenities as a large city. In reality, the slogan is dull and inappropriate.