ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE
From Philosopedia
ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE
Zeno of Elea (c. 490—430 B.C.E.) developed a paradox of motion. If Achilles races a tortoise and the tortoise is given a head start, Achilles can never win, Zeno argued. For wherever Achilles reaches the point that the tortoise has reached, the tortoise will have moved ahead to a new point. And when Achilles reaches that point, the tortoise will have moved to yet a new point, and so on, indefinitely. As Achilles closes a previous gap, the tortoise has moved on. How Zeno explained the paradox is not known, but it is clear he questioned common-sense notions of time and space.
