Fun With the Fallacy of Self-Refutation

You might be familiar with my three volumes of Glimmerings, mostly short comments on whatever I want to comment. Since it is unclear whether I will ever finish a fourth volume, I have decided to post what might be of some interest. If these posts produce sales for the three volumes (1001 comments per volume), then I might just be encouraged to keep posting and publishing. 

From Glimmerings IV, #3020. Examples of Self-Refutation (aka Self-Referential Absurdity)

A statement making a universal claim must itself be consistent with the claim. If the statement conflicts with the claim, the statement refutes the claim. For example, the statement, “All sentences are four words long,” is in conflict with the claim, since the sentence is six words long. Therefore, the statement itself refutes the claim, creating a self-refutation.

Note the examples and commentary here:

1. To find truth, we must begin without any a priori assumptions.

1a. This statement itself is an a priori assumption. Who says that we must have such an assumption or lack of assumptions before we can find truth?

2. Nothing must be admitted as true without empirical verification.

2a. Since the statement cannot be verified empirically, it must not be admitted as true. Note that very few philosophical claims are subject to empirical verification: there is no experiment you can do to prove them.

3. Nothing can be known with certainty.

3a. In that case, the correctness or error, the truth or the falseness of this statement cannot be known with certainty. Therefore, it might be still possible for something to be known with certainty.

4. All truth is subjective opinion.

4a. In that case that claim is subjective opinion and is not true in any absolute or universal sense.

5. There are no absolutes.

5a. In that case that statement is not absolutely true.

6. Truth does not exist.

6a. In that case this statement is not true. Or worse, the statement cannot be explicated, because without a referent (truth), there is no way to test the correspondence of the statement with the referent.

7. Everything should be questioned and doubted until it is proved.

7a. Okay, so then we will question and doubt that the statement is true until it is proved, which is impossible.

8. Everything I say is a lie.

8a. Is that really true? If it is really true, then the statement is false. Or if you are indeed lying, then not everything you say is a lie and the statement is false.

9. I believe in nothing.

9a. Do you really believe that?

10. Words convey no meaning—only deeds convey meaning.

10a. Um, exactly what do you mean?

11. Truth is merely a social construct.

11a. So then your claim is a social construct and is not true in any absolute sense. Or maybe it’s true for you but not for me.

12. All interpretation is misinterpretation.

12a. Then there is no accurate way to interpret the meaning or cogency of this statement.

13. There is no universal meaning.

13a. Then no one can know what that statement means.