One names aporia (in Greek aporia , absence of passage, difficulty, embarrassment) a difficulty of solving a problem. For Aristote, it is a question which places the reader or the listener in the embarrassment to slice between two assertions.

The current direction of aporia is stronger and relates to any insoluble and inevitable problem.

Aspect

The aporetic thought can seek to exceed contradictions, as at Aristote; it is then Dialectique and is distinguished from the skepticism, the Agnosticisme, or the Sophisme:

• the Dialectique puts flat from the different points of view to allow a Synthèse of it;
• the Scepticisme is restricted not to slice as long as the conditions are not met to do it;
• the Agnosticisme wants to be unaware of what we cannot know (at least as long as we cannot know it);
• the Sophisme does not constitute a school of thought, but a model of reasoning primarily based on the eloquence in order to allure the mass and this with an aim of working for the good of a minority or of transmitting a message which does not correspond to reality (intentionally or not);
• the aporia is restricted to note that what is, is (see also Existentialisme).

One names aporetic a system built on one or of the aporia (S). Education functions in the aporétique one of the control and autonomy: the teacher wants to control his teaching but its goal is also that the pupil becomes autonomous. These two intentions coexist and are competed with but if one “overrode the other” (whatever the besides direction which one can give in this term) it would not have there more possible education, or more the same type of education - in any case according to Jacques Derrida. However, the two intentions do not coexist any more if the teacher positions like a mediator. In this case, the teacher is located between the knowledge and the pupils and his role is to make the knowledge accessible to the pupils and the latter of knowing the to imply in the training.

Examples of answer to a question of aporetic pace

This example is due to Banesh Hoffmann, in its book the strange story of the quanta :

• the pupil: “Is the Lumière a wave or a particle? ”

• the professor: “Yes”

Another example of control of a reasoning of the aporetic type - aiming to destabilize, confuse, in all logic, even if reality perhaps very other. The application which is shown here is Sophiste not Rhétorique. This quickly reconstituted dialog is inspired by the French film Police custody :

• - You known as that you do not remember what you did this evening there.

• - Yes
• - How then can you be sure to have done only one reproaches you?
• - Indeed, I cannot it
• - You recognize however only the elements that one presents to you are true?
• - Yes
• - As you do not remember nothing, you agree that it is completely possible that you are the author of that of which one suspects you?
• -…

Socrate was also a fine user of mode of reasoning of the aporetic type. The exchange which is presented in the Apologie for Socrate in is an illustration also confusing.

Random links:

Gao Xingjian | David Kelly (inspector of UNO) | Cabaniols | Pyramid of Hawara