antinomy
Reasonable beliefs clash
An antinomy is a contradiction between two principles or conclusions that both seem equally valid or necessary.
The term appears mainly in philosophy and law, where it describes genuine logical paradoxes rather than mere disagreements: Kant's antinomies revealed the limits of pure reason.
Unlike a simple contradiction, an antinomy suggests both sides have legitimate claims that cannot be easily reconciled.
Opposing claims, incompatible together
- self-contradictionClaim negating itself
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- irresolvableImpossible to settle
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
enigma · puzzle · absurdity · dichotomy · oxymoron · anomaly · riddle · perplexity
Academic argument requiring defense
- antithesisDirect opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- HegelianOf German idealism's founder
- negationDenial or cancellation
mediation · opposition · reconciliation · contradiction · dialectical · Marxist · resolution · totality
Enacted written rule
- jurisprudencePhilosophy governing legal systems
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- codeSymbolic communication system
legislation · incompatibility · regulation · provision · clause · repugnancy · nullification
Active resistance or dissent
- conflictOpposition between parties
- polarityState of opposing forces
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
friction · incompatibility · contrariety · antagonism · irreconcilability · strain · discord · counterpoint
Extraordinary observable occurrence
- transcendentalBeyond ordinary experience
- pure reasonIntellect independent of experience
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- categoricalUnconditional and explicit
cosmological · thesis · antithesis · idealism · metaphysics · a priori · speculative · rational
contradiction
Opposing claims, incompatible together
- self-contradictionClaim negating itself
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- irresolvableImpossible to settle
conundrum · enigma · puzzle · absurdity · dichotomy · oxymoron · anomaly · riddle · perplexity · counterintuitive
thesis
Academic argument requiring defense
- antithesisDirect opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- HegelianOf German idealism's founder
negation · mediation · opposition · reconciliation · contradiction · dialectical · Marxist · resolution · totality · determinate
statute
Enacted written rule
- jurisprudencePhilosophy governing legal systems
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
code · legislation · incompatibility · regulation · provision · clause · repugnancy · nullification
opposition
Active resistance or dissent
- conflictOpposition between parties
- polarityState of opposing forces
- dissonanceLack of harmony
clash · friction · incompatibility · contrariety · antagonism · irreconcilability · strain · discord · counterpoint · duality
phenomenon
Extraordinary observable occurrence
- transcendentalBeyond ordinary experience
- pure reasonIntellect independent of experience
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
categorical · cosmological · thesis · antithesis · idealism · metaphysics · a priori · speculative · rational · regulative
- contradictionsparadox, oxymoron, contradiction, paradoxes, oxymorons
- paradoxescatch-22, Zeno's paradox, Zeno's paradoxes, causal loop, bootstrap paradox
- literary paradoxesoxymoron, contradiction, catch-22, self-reference, circular reasoning
- German IdealismKant, Hegel, Fichte, absolute, dialectic
- KantKant, categorical imperative, a priori, thing-in-itself, noumena
- Kantian PhilosophyKant, categorical imperative, a priori, a priori knowledge, noumena
antinomyconsistency
Reliable adherence to standards
coherence · agreement · accord · compatibility · congruence