Buridan’s Paradox
Buridan’s paradox is a philosophical concept first introduced by French philosopher Jean Buridan in the 14th century. The concept is based on a hypothetical situation in which a donkey is presented with two identical haystacks, each equidistant from the donkey but in two directions. Faced with this choice, the paradox postulates that the donkey will become entrapped in an existential crisis, unable to decide which haystack to choose. This act of deliberation will in turn result in the donkey’s death due to lack of nutrition; an example of a false dilemma.
Often termed as the ‘dilemma of rationality versus desire’, the paradox was initially created by Buridan in efforts to illustrate a form of irrational behaviour. Buridans paradox has been used over the centuries as a means of stimulating thinking about Aristotles law of non contradiction.
The question raised by Buridans paradox is centered around the notion of free will, and the ability of any living being to choose its own path. It called into question the idea of rational thought and asked, how can a creature, despite being capable of thought, become trapped by an existential crisis brought on by an inability to choose between two equal options?
The paradox has been used to illustrate the impact of indecision in many different ways. Some suggest that the paradox is a result of a society where there are too many choices; the idea being that an excess of options can cause a person to become paralyzed by the sheer amount of choices. Others suggest that Buridan’s paradox relies on the idea of instinct, suggesting that instead of opting for the option which appears to be the most logical, reason is sometimes overridden by instinct and emotion.
Ultimately, Buridans paradox is a philosophical concept created to generate discussion about free will and the impact of existential crises caused by indecision. The true implications of the paradox can only be answered if society ever finds itself in the situation depicted within it; however, the paradox lays has been credited with laying the foundation for ideas about existentialism and choice which have greatly impacted philosophical thought.
