Comment by neuromorphic on Betrand Russell's Ten Commandments · 2012-05-08T10:20:04.799Z · LW · GW

To adapt a quote of Douglas Adams:

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers a flaw in the Set-Theoretic Universe, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something with an even more bizarre and complex specification. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

With that in mind, it's interesting to look at Russell's list of 10 commandments. A conspicuous and unusual characteristic of their design is that each of them (apart from 1.) has two halves: a principle, and then a justification. Not exactly the conventional style when issuing commandments.

It conjures an image of a first draft, perhaps more simplistic, more conventional in style - in which the eagle eye of Russell, always ready to give careful consideration to any self-referential aspects of the system, discovers - a Paradox!

:D