Paradoxes of the uncaused cause

 Paradoxes of the uncaused cause

 

 

I have two versions of the paradox of the uncaused cause; one in paradox logic, and one in trilemmas.

 

Here’s the paradox-logic version:

Paradox of the Origin:

Let the “origin” be the origin of anything, and only those things, that do not originate themselves.

O is the origin of X        =         X is not the origin of X

Is the origin the origin of itself?

O is the origin of O        =         O is not the origin of O

 

 

Here’s the trilemma version:

The First Cause Trilemma:

There is a first cause;

All causes are caused;

There are no causal loops;

Choose at most two!

 

Each of the trilemma’s clauses is plausible, but all three cannot be true at once. Therefore the “two thirds rule”:

If any two trilemma clauses are true, then the third must be false.

 

So if there are no causal loops;

And there is a first cause;

Then not all causes are caused.

 

And if all causes are caused;

and there are no causal loops;

Then there is no first cause.

 

And if there is a first cause;

And all causes are caused;

then there are causal loops.

 

This suggests three worlds, each of which makes two-thirds of the trilemma true:

          The Ray: One with an uncaused cause that causes all else;

The Line: One where causation regresses to infinity;

The Loop: One where causation loops.