Skip to content
EntityQ261262· pop 36· linked from 190 articles

In philosophy, an aporia () is a conundrum or state of puzzlement. In rhetoric, it is a declaration of doubt, made for rhetorical purpose and often feigned. The notion of an aporia is principally found in ancient Greek philosophy, but it also plays a role in modern post-structuralist philosophy, as in the writings of Jacques Derrida and Luce Irigaray, and it has also served as an instrument of investigation in analytic philosophy.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
philosophical concept
Show 2 more facts
studied by
philosophy
different from
Aporia
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~5 min read

Encyclopedic overview

6 sections
Contents
  • Ancient Greek philosophy
  • Modern usage
  • Rhetoric
  • See also
  • References
  • Sources

In philosophy, an aporia () is a conundrum or state of puzzlement. In rhetoric, it is a declaration of doubt, made for rhetorical purpose and often feigned. The notion of an aporia is principally found in ancient Greek philosophy, but it also plays a role in modern post-structuralist philosophy, as in the writings of Jacques Derrida and Luce Irigaray, and it has also served as an instrument of investigation in analytic philosophy.

==Philosophy== In philosophy, an aporia is a philosophical puzzle or a seemingly irresoluble impasse in an inquiry, often arising as a result of equally plausible yet inconsistent premises, i.e., a paradox. It can also denote the state of being perplexed, or at a loss, at such a puzzle or impasse.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “aporia” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.