This Sentence is False: An Introduction to Philosophical Paradoxes

by Peter Cave

An entertaining introduction to logic and reasoning, packed with puzzles and thought experiments for the reader to try

"Peter Cave takes us on an edifying tour through the world of paradoxes, and there is much to be learned, as well as much enjoyment to be had, in the process." -Adrian W. Moore, University of Oxford, UK
"'This sentence is false' is a sentence printed on the cover of this book. A sentence is not a name. So what is the name of the book? This book (whatever its name) is full of intriguing philosophical puzzles ... Paradoxes may seem trivial at first glance, but further thought reveals them to be challenges to some of our most fundamental beliefs and preconceptions. Peter Cave entertainingly escorts the reader through a great variety of these fascinating puzzles, shining light that is fresh and bright." -Laurence Goldstein, University of Kent, UK

"This is a truly wonderful book. The topic is tough, but Peter Cave brings it to life. He manages to give new insights on old topics, which is itself remarkable, and he also brings in plenty of less familiar topics ... All in all, it is a joy to see such cleverness and clarity of thought coexisting with such an easy (and light and amusing) writing style." -Professor Imre Leader, Cambridge University, UK

Put your neurons through their paces with this lively and engaging introduction to paradoxes. From "Buridan's Ass" and the "Surprise Examination" to "The Liar" and "Sleeping Beauty," This Sentence is False introduces all the key philosophical paradoxes. This fascinating guide to logic and reasoning is packed with puzzles and thought experiments to actively engage the reader in critical thinking. As well as paradoxes that occur in our everyday lives, topics also include God, ethics, political philosophy, space, and time. This Sentence is False will put your mind to the test, challenge what you think you know, and lead you on a fascinating journey through logical reasoning.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2009

About the author

Peter Cave lectures in philosophy for The Open University and New York University (London). He frequently contributes to philosophy magazines and journals, lectures around the world, and has scripted and presented philosophy programmes for the BBC. He is the author of eight books on philosophy, including Humanism: A Beginner’s Guide and the bestselling Can a Robot be Human?: 33 Perplexing Philosophy Puzzles.

Reviews

[Ryō Nagafuji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book a lot earlier than I had the chance to update this, so this might not be as fresh in my mind as I'd like. However, I've got to say that this is an excellent introduction to paradoxes. True, I don't have any frame of reference when it comes to comparing that particular niche in the philosophical writings market, but I find this one very enlightening nonetheless. There were probably areas in which Cave might have been able to elaborate, but this is supposed to be an introduction, as it says in the title. It is a starting text to lead onto further investigation, which I've been thoroughly sold on after this compelling read!

[Melany Dillon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't recall a single thing I learned from this book.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 'introduction' part was the key part of the title, as this touched on a wide variety of topics without going into many of them in detail.

Cave addressed this but in many cases the issues weren't really paradoxes but rather badly-defined scenarios and the limits of language in expressing concepts and the concept of 'limits' in mathematics. Perhaps the constraint of language also affected the explanation which led to this reader's dissatisfaction.

Overall, however, I felt it was a bit too brief in its coverage of each topic and while he provided further reading suggestions I'd come across enough of this before, although to a complete newcomer it might have had more use.

[Lynley · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

This started fun. I liked it! It made my brain twist and hurt a little. Then it got long. And draining. And I just stopped caring. The book is an exhaustive read.

[Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super duper dry. It started off pretty enjoyably, but he went way too in depth. He should have simply skimmed the surface of the paradoxes. The book could easily be written in half as many pages, greatly improving the readability of it.

[Moi-rrrrra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as great as I wanted it to be...

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book although some of the paradoxes are well-trodden paths.