Antinomy
In philosophy, an Antinomy (; Ancient Greek: antí ‘against’ + nómos ‘law’) is a real or apparent contradiction between two conclusions, both of which seem justified. It is a term used in logic and epistemology, particularly in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
Antinomy is a common form of argument in the dialogues of Plato. Kant credited Zeno of Elea (see Zeno’s paradoxes) as the inventor of the antinomic mode of argumentation, which he described as a “skeptical method” of “watching, or rather provoking, a conflict of assertions, not for the purpose of deciding in favor of one or the other side, but of investigating whether the object of the controversy is not perhaps a deceptive appearance which each vainly tries to grasp, and in regard to which, even if there were no opposition to overcome, neither can arrive at any result”.
The antinomic procedure was further developed by Fichte, Schelling and Hegel. Hegel said that Kant was in error when he limited the antinomies to cosmological ideas, claiming that the world itself contains contradiction. Schopenhauer said that the antitheses in Kant’s antinomies were justified, but claimed the theses (cosmological propositions) to be sophisms.
Synonyms for antinomy include contradiction, paradox, and conflict, all of which capture the idea of two equally valid but opposing principles or conclusions. Across philosophical traditions, other terms like dialectic, dichotomy, and duplicity can also describe this concept, which involves a fundamental or unresolvable clash between opposing ideas.
Synonyms and related concepts
- Contradiction: A direct opposition between two statements or ideas.
- Paradox: A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.
- Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or principles.
- Dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
- Dialectic: A method of argument for resolving a particular contradiction, often involving a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.
- Duplicity: Deceitfulness or twofold or two-fold nature, in the sense of two equally valid but opposing “laws” or principles.
Examples in philosophy
- Immanuel Kant’s antinomies: Kant famously used the term to describe contradictions arising from pure reason when applied to metaphysics, such as the universe having a beginning versus not having a beginning.
- Hegelian dialectic: This philosophical system uses the tension between a thesis and its antithesis to create a new synthesis, which is a resolution of the antinomy.
- Ethical dilemmas: Many ethical situations present antinomies, where two moral principles seem to be in conflict, creating a complex choice with no easy answer.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/antinomy
[2] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/antinomy
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antinomy
[4] https://neologikonblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/17/5346/
[5] https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/antinomy
[7] wikipedia/en/Kant%27s_antinomies
[8] https://macblog.mcmaster.ca/fryeblog/2009/09/13/notes-on-the-dialectic-of-belief-and-vision/