Philosophy
Hempel's Paradox of the Ravens
Quick fact
Hempel introduced this paradox in 1945; it is also known as the 'raven paradox' and reveals a fundamental tension between two natural principles of confirmation.
Why this is interesting
You see a black raven and think, 'That confirms that all ravens are black.' But what if seeing a white shoe also confirms it? That seems absurd—yet logic says it does. How can that be?