Is this a straightforward contradiction?
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Original Question
The topic is abiogenesis, and in a debate about it, someone said the following, in a single post 9his exact words) :
"Possible? Technically.
"Logically impossible? Yes. Definitely.
"Impossible? Beyond all reasonable doubt."
Is this a simple set of contradictory statements?
Comments on Question
Answers
5I think it is contradiction.
If it is technically possible then how can you tell that it is impossible? So, it is a contradiction because you told it is possible technically an told it is definitely impossible.
The underlying premise here is that logic trumps technology and deceptively reasons that something might be technically possible, but because it is logically impossible it is therefore impossible beyond a reasonable doubt.
Abiogenesis is technically possible. (False premise) In fact, In 1864, Louis Pasteur showed conclusively that living things come from other living things.
Abiogenesis is logically impossible . ( Introducing logic into the equation is a bit of a red herring. It is interesting to note that Aristotle, the father of western logic, believed it to be logically feasible.
Therefore abiogenesis is impossible beyond a reasonable doubt.
This strikes me as a bit circular, or even a petitio principii. The claimant shifts from the false claim that abiogenesis is technically possible and then deceptively switches to logic to disprove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
This person might be trying to say "possible in theory, impossible in practice" using some rather unnecessary vocab.
Just from the information given.
Logically it is (possible or not) or (Impossible or not). Sound like someone trying spin something to their advantage or maybe needs to clarify what he means. Double speak maybe. We also have the law of noncontradiction. It would violate that.
It is ambiguity at best, but most likely a contradiction. I don't know how a biological process could be "technically" possible and "impossible" at the same time. I would respond that this appears to be a blatant contradiction, and ask them to explain how it is not.
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Perhaps he means there is technically a small chance of it happening randomly, but that the chance is so small it would not be logical to think it was actually possible.