A discrete solution for the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise

Vincent Ardourel

pp. 2843-2861

in: Magdalena Balcerak Jackson (ed), The roles of experience in a priori knowledge, Synthese 192 (9), 2015.

Abstract

In this paper, I present a discrete solution for the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. I argue that Achilles overtakes the tortoise after a finite number of steps of Zeno’s argument if time is represented as discrete. I then answer two objections that could be made against this solution. First, I argue that the discrete solution is not an ad hoc solution. It is embedded in a discrete formulation of classical mechanics. Second, I show that the discrete solution cannot be falsified experimentally.