- Western Philosophy
In Western philosophy, particularly in the works of Socrates and later existentialists like Søren Kierkegaard, we find the use of paradox as a tool for philosophical inquiry. Socratic dialogues often end in aporia, a state of puzzlement, which is meant to provoke deeper questioning.
Kierkegaard used paradox to explore the nature of faith, famously stating that "faith is the contradiction between the infinite passion of inwardness and objective uncertainty."
These examples show that many spiritual and philosophical traditions across cultures use paradoxical statements and stories to encourage deeper reflection, challenge conventional thinking, and lead to profound insights—similar to the function of koans in Zen Buddhism.
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