12 – COLLIDING WITH REALITY – THE COSTS OF APPLIED CONTRADICTION

 November 7, 2024

A photo!!  We will get to it shortly…

One of the things that I greatly admire about the Bible is that, by-and-large, the doctrines of grace described for us in the – in theoretical terms in the New Testament letters are illustrated by concrete events in the Old Testament.

For example, the Passover ritual we find in Exodus 12 provides an easy-to-picture concrete example of atonement by the blood of a substitute. A little later, the crossing of the Red Sea gives us a picture of God (physically) redeeming his people, taking them through waters that would otherwise swallow them up in death in the face of the advancing Egyptians, to new life on the other side (see Exodus 14, 1 Cor. 10:1, 2).  So, with that in mind, here is my attempt to mimic that style in relation to Non-Contradiction.

What abstract idea does the photo concretely illustrate? 

There are at least three different “correct” answers to the question:

1.        We see, of course, a collision (a “fender bender”) – the aftermath of two vehicles that collided.

2.        We see, and know full well, that two objects – in this case, cars – cannot occupy the same space at the same time.  Either one vehicle or the other vehicle can occupy a given space at any given time, but not both.  The result of the attempt is costly!

3.        As well, we can characterize the collision as the inevitable result of an attempt to violate the Principle of Non-Contradiction.

Again, please note that we find non-contradiction everywhere!

Let us now consider the costs that come with violating the Principle of Non-Contradiction.  In the case of vehicles colliding, they are obvious and, potentially, numerous.  Here is an incomplete list:

• the cost of repairing damage, or replacing the vehicle,

• the cost of a temporary replacement vehicle, perhaps,

• the various costs related to injuries (hospitalization, treatment and other medical costs, time lost from work, pain and suffering, disability),

• the cost of law suits, other legal proceedings, fines for highway traffic violations,

• increased insurance costs.

When material objects violate non-contradiction, things break; in some cases they are destroyed.  Sometimes they cause death!

Material objects cannot normalize contradiction!! The motor vehicle accident is a clear and simple illustration of that universal reality.  And what is true of material objects is also true of immaterial objects!  A truth claim is an immaterial object; in terms of its status as an object, it is no different than a car!  The former is abstract and the latter is concrete, but they share the same status as objects.

So, to claim that Truth Claim “A” can be both true and false at the same time and in the same relationship is to endorse the equivalent of an immaterial “car accident!”  Yet, since truth claims are immaterial – meaning we cannot access them with our five physical senses – it is possible to delude1 – and I chose that word intentionally! – oneself into believing that contradiction is not problematic.

One final point for this post, and one so obvious that it may prompt a shake of your head: to navigate (drive) in a way that enables you to avoid car accidents, you MUST use external reference points!! Think about that: other vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs, signals and road markings, and so on, are all external reference points that make it possible to drive safely.  Of course, we take these things so much for granted that we never think about this aspect of Reality!

In the next post, we will bring Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into the conversation and look more at external reference points and the costs of contradiction…

1     Delusion – a false belief in a person’s mind that runs contrary to Reality.