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Claim

Performative contradiction

Overview

A performative contradiction (German: performativer Widerspruch) arises when the making of an utterance rests on necessary presuppositions that contradict the proposition asserted in the utterance.

The term was coined by Jürgen Habermas and Karl-Otto Apel, who attribute the first elaboration of the concept to Jaakko Hintikka, in his analysis of Descartes' cogito ergo sum argument. Hintikka concluding that cogito ergo sum relies on performance rather than logical inference.

Habermas claims that post-modernism's epistemological relativism suffers from a performative contradiction. Hans-Hermann Hoppe claims in his theory of discourse ethics that arguing against self-ownership results in a performative contradiction.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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  1. That we ought not meanwhile to make use of doubt in the conduct of life. In the meantime, it is to be observed that we are to avail ourselves of this general doubt only while engaged in the contemplation of truth. For, as far as concerns the conduct of life, we are very frequently obliged to follow opinions merely probable, or even sometimes, though of two courses of action we may not perceive more probability in…

    René Descartes, Selections from the Principles of Philosophy

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  2. _Doubt._ But perhaps _I am_ something _more_ then I take my self to _be_, and perhaps all these _perfections_ which I attribute to _God_, are _potentially_ in me, tho at present they do not shew themselves, and break into action. For I am now fully experienced that my _Knowledge_ may be _encreased_, and I see nothing that hinders why it may not _encrease_ by degrees in _Infinitum_, nor why by my _knowledge_ so…

    René Descartes, Six metaphysical meditations

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  3. Hence, it is plain that the very notion of what is called MATTER or CORPOREAL SUBSTANCE, involves a contradiction in it.[Note.] [Note: "Insomuch that I should not think it necessary to spend more time in exposing its absurdity.

    George Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

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Philosophers who discussed Performative contradiction

Related ideas

Place in the tradition

Part of Discourse ethics.

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