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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?