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Which of the following statements is true?

a) The next statement is false.
b) The next statement is true.
c) The two previous statements are false.
d) None of the above.

User RouR
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1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Statement (d) 'None of the above.' is the correct choice because it avoids the self-referential paradox generated by the other statements, which cannot all be true or false simultaneously without causing a contradiction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question presents a logical conundrum often related to self-reference paradoxes. Statements (a), (b), and (c) create a loop of statements that cannot all be simultaneously true or false without generating a contradiction. Such paradoxes are common in philosophical discussions and logic puzzles.

If we assume that statement (a) 'The next statement is false.' is true, then statement (b) would have to be false, which contradicts statement (c) being true as it states that both (a) and (b) are false. Similarly, assuming statement (b) 'The next statement is true.' as true, leads to (c) being true, which again states that (a) and (b) are false, generating a contradiction. If (c) 'The two previous statements are false.' is taken as true, then both (a) and (b) cannot be true, again leading to a paradox since (a) suggests (b) is false and (b) suggests (c) is true. Statement (d) 'None of the above.' provides an escape from the paradox by suggesting that none of the statements are unambiguously true, thereby it is the correct choice in this case.

User Bertl
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