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That's so much to read.
but,
If the riddle lies behind who wins the race between Achilles and the tortoise, like the author of the website stated, the finish line is never establish implying an infinite race. So the only way the hare would 'win' would be by being in the lead for the entire race. But how's that possible without running in a giant circle (let's say the size of the earth) and the turtles starts 2 laps ahead of Achilles and directly behind him (2.999 laps ahead). Now, if the race were infact infinite and everlasting, than i believe that over years and years and years achilles would eventually catch up and pass the hare making him the victor. But if the race only lasted until either creature died, than who would win?
Achilles is faster, the turtle is slower but with a rediculous head start. Can there be a winner without a predetermined finish line? that's like saying, hey! i'll race you to THE TREE, and there not being a tree for miles and miles around. even with a headstart, you won't know who wins because... there is no finish line. You can find out who's faster tho. Two aspects of the website are meant to thicken the paradox. the 1+1 part (which is arguing the validity of truth and it's application to this riddle) and i don't think should even be presented. I understand it's relevance, (mathematical truth sometimes can be debunked by grammar and term-of-phrase) and through that, you can see that the riddle is simply unsolvable and incomplete. If the race was a 2 mile race, and the tortoise started 20 feet from the finish line, sure. achilles would lose. but even specifics such as that aren't stated. Just, achilles starts behind the tortoise, and that there is no finish line. And this point, they don't even necessarily need tobe running on a track anymore. They could just be racing in opposite directions trying to RACE one another to a specific point somewhere else. And through that, achilles may eventually get to the end point of the race first, but will never pass the tortoise. would that imply that achilles did not ever win the race because he didn't ever PASS the tortoise? garbage i say.
If that guy's theory on everlasting truth does exist, than you gotta approach that arguement with the fact that no single person is EVER everlasting. thus, the race could never be infinite, thus a finish point MUST be established to help determine who can get to the end first. and of any race, if you don't finish, you don't win. and if no one ever finishes the race (ever being a lofty word when there is no finish line) what is the point of the race??? i dunno. thoughts?
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Jan 07, 05
