Single Idea 19433

[catalogued under 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason]

Full Idea

The Buridan's Ass case of perfect equilibrium is chimerical. ...The universe has no centre and its parts are infinitely varied; thus it will never happen that all will be perfectly equal and will strike equally from one side or the other.

Gist of Idea

The universe is infinitely varied, so the Buridan's Ass dilemma could never happen

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Coste [1707], 1707)

Book Reference

Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Leibniz Selections', ed/tr. Wiener,Philip P. [Scribners 1951], p.483


A Reaction

Can the great Leibniz have missed the point? Surely all that matters is that the ass cannot distinguish the two options - not that they actually are identical in every detail? If the ass is short-sighted, that should be easy to set up.

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