Irresistible force paradox

The irresistible force paradox, also called the unstoppable force paradox, shield and spear paradox, is a classic paradox formulated as "What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?" This paradox is much like the omnipotence paradox, which is a simple demonstration that challenges omnipotence. The immovable object and the irresistible force are both implicitly assumed to be indestructible, or else the question would have a trivial resolution. Furthermore, it is assumed that they are two separate entities.

The paradox arises because it rests on two incompatible premises: that there can exist simultaneously such things as irresistible forces and immovable objects. The "paradox" is flawed because if there exists an irresistible force, it follows logically that there cannot be any such thing as an immovable object and vice versa.^[1]

Origins

An example of this paradox in non-western thought can be found in the origin of the Chinese word for contradiction (Chinese: 矛盾; pinyin: máodùn; literally: "spear-shield"). This term originates from a story in the 3rd century BC philosophical book Han Feizi.^[2] In the story, a man was trying to sell a spear and a shield. When asked how good his spear was, he said that his spear could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield was, he said that it could defend from all spear attacks. Then one person asked him what would happen if he were to take his spear to strike his shield; the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom of "zìxīang máodùn" (自相矛盾), or "self-contradictory".

Another ancient and mythological example illustrating this theme can be found in the story of the Teumessian fox, who can never be caught, and the hound Laelaps, who never misses what it hunts. Realizing the paradox, Zeus turns both creatures into static stars.

Applications

The problems associated with this paradox can be applied to any other conflict between two abstractly defined extremes that are opposite.

One of the answers generated by seeming paradoxes like these is that there is no contradiction – that there is a false dilemma. Dr. Christopher Kaczor suggested that the need to change indicates a lack of power rather than the possession thereof, and as such a person who was omniscient would never need to change their mind – not changing the future would be consistent with omniscience rather than contradicting it.^[3]

In the same way, an irresistible force, an object or force with infinite inertia, would be consistent with the definition of an immovable object, in that they would be one and the same. Any object whose momentum or motion cannot be changed is an immovable object, and it would halt any object that moved relative to it, making it an irresistible force.

A deterministic universe may contain more than one of such forces/objects as long as they are never determined to meet in the entire history of such a universe. Indeed, in the context of such a universe, one could redefine the words "irresistible" and "immovable" to "is never successfully resisted" and "is never successfully moved" (within the fixed history of said deterministic universe) instead of the counterfactual possibilities. This is similar to the Novikov self-consistency principle of the grandfather paradox in time-travel scenarios.

Cultural references

In DC Comics' All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, Superman encounters the Ultrasphinx, who asks "What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object?", to which Superman answers "They surrender."

At Wrestlemania III, colour commentator Gorilla Monsoon described the match of Andre the Giant vs Hulk Hogan as "The irresistible force meeting the immovable object."

In the film "Imagine Me And You" (2005) the irresistible force paradox is an occurring theme first mentioned by H and last referenced by Heck who compares Rachel's love for Luce as the unstoppable force and himself as the immoveable object saying, "What you're feeling is the unstoppable force, which means I have to move."

In DC's film The Dark Knight (2008), The Joker references the irresistible force paradox in both his final scene, as well as his final dialogue between himself and Batman. The Joker attempts to ultimately explain the reason for Batman's inability to shed his Batman identity, saying, "You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you, huh? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever."

See also

• Indeterminate form
• Infinity

References