Paradox: The Barber’s Paradox
Objective
Students will grapple with The Barber's Paradox about a barber who may (or may not) shave himself.
The setup is: The barber is the person who shaves those, and only those, who do not shave themselves.
The question: Does the barber shave himself?
This sets up a contradiction:
- The barber cannot shave himself, since barbers don't shave those who shave themselves.
- But, if he doesn't shave himself, then he must shave himself, since barbers shave those who don't shave themselves!
- But… barbers cannot shave themselves. 🤯