You think you've got problems
Think again.
One of the books I bought in Hong Kong was 101 Philosophy Problems by Martin Cohen. The first problem is about a liar who is going to be executed unless he can come up with one true statement, in which case he'll be sent to prison for ten years. But when the day or reckoning comes, the prisoner is not only not executed, but also released on the spot.
The question is what statement might he have made to be let off any punishment.
The statement has to be a true declaration, which excludes commands such as "Don't execute me". Something obviously true would only get him ten years inside.
The answer is apparently based on the Liar's Paradox ("Everything I say is a lie."). The prisoner, Cohen suggests, would write something like "I shall be hanged tomorrow", which will be true if it happens, but violate the judge's sentence.
Now, if only I could've thought of the answer. My version would've been much more interesting. The prisoner writes "Your fly is undone". The executioner peers down, the prisoner swings across to the balcony of milady's bedroom where he pleasures her once (with his chains on), and escapes, pursued by her fat, irate husband. Having evaded the husband, he goes back, does the business again, and eventually arrives in Limoges where he opens a florist's shop under the name Monsieur Snaque.
All right, it's not an interesting story, but it's Internet true.
One of the books I bought in Hong Kong was 101 Philosophy Problems by Martin Cohen. The first problem is about a liar who is going to be executed unless he can come up with one true statement, in which case he'll be sent to prison for ten years. But when the day or reckoning comes, the prisoner is not only not executed, but also released on the spot.
The question is what statement might he have made to be let off any punishment.
The statement has to be a true declaration, which excludes commands such as "Don't execute me". Something obviously true would only get him ten years inside.
The answer is apparently based on the Liar's Paradox ("Everything I say is a lie."). The prisoner, Cohen suggests, would write something like "I shall be hanged tomorrow", which will be true if it happens, but violate the judge's sentence.
Now, if only I could've thought of the answer. My version would've been much more interesting. The prisoner writes "Your fly is undone". The executioner peers down, the prisoner swings across to the balcony of milady's bedroom where he pleasures her once (with his chains on), and escapes, pursued by her fat, irate husband. Having evaded the husband, he goes back, does the business again, and eventually arrives in Limoges where he opens a florist's shop under the name Monsieur Snaque.
All right, it's not an interesting story, but it's Internet true.
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