The term trilemma derives from the much older term dilemma, a choice between two unacceptable options. Unlike a dilemma, a trilemma has three options, more than one of which may be simultaneously possible and at least one of which is acceptable. Two of the most commonly referenced trilemmas are those relating to Christian apologetics and international economic policy. The former of these is an example of a “pick one” trilemma (where there are three options, only one of which is possible); the latter is a “pick two” trilemma (where there are three options, out of which a maximum of two are feasible at the same time). Look up Dilemma in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the Nelly song, see Dilemma (song). ... Christian Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of Christianity. ...

Examples

Trilemma in Christian apologetics

The most famous trilemma—often referred to simply as "the trilemma"—is a form of apologetics meant to prove the divinity of Jesus or at least demonstrate the impossibility of him being simply a "good teacher". Often summarized as either "Lunatic, Liar, or Lord", or "Mad, Bad, or God", it assumes that Jesus claimed to be the son of God, and as a result one of three things must be true: Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE — 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Son of God is a biblical phrase from the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), and the New Testament. ...

1. Lunatic: Jesus was not the son of God, but he mistakenly believed that he was.
2. Liar: Jesus was not the son of God, and he knew it, but he said so anyway.
3. Lord: Jesus was the son of God, and thus spoke the truth.

The trilemma is principally associated with C. S. Lewis, who originally proposed the argument in his book Mere Christianity. He contends that there are three probable alternatives, all or any of which, or some variant, may logically be chosen over the choice of calling Jesus a "great human teacher". Lewis's trilemma is therefore a straightforward question on the basis of the Biblical view of Jesus: it compels a choice of any option except the logically excluded alternative that Jesus was "a great human teacher" (and from among the remaining alternatives, he argues that Jesus is God). Lewis does not propose the argument as a proof of the deity of Christ, but attempts to portray as foolish those who dismiss Jesus as merely a moral teacher. However, he was ultimately persuaded that the choice of Jesus as Lord is no less probable than the alternatives, and far more preferable. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, and by his friends as Jack, was an Irish author and scholar of mixed Irish, English, and Welsh ancestry. ... Mere Christianity is a book by C. S. Lewis, adapted from a 1943 series of BBC radio chats broadcast while Lewis was an Oxford don during World War II and it is considered a classic work in Christian apologetics. ...

More recently, Christian evangelist Josh McDowell has used a farther-reaching variant of Lewis's trilemma in an attempt to prove that Jesus was God. Arguing that the first two options are not acceptable for a number of reasons, we are forced to believe Jesus's claim to be the son of God. McDowell, surpassing Lewis's point, suggests that the trilemma logically compels Christian belief. First he attempts to demonstrate the historical reliability of the Bible, and then uses that in conjunction with the trilemma to conclude that Jesus is divine. Josh McDowell is a Christian apologist, evangelist, and writer. ...

Ronald Reagan also used the trilemma in a reply to a liberal Methodist minister who denied the divinity of Christ. Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ...

The trilemma rests on the assumption that Jesus was a living person who did claim to be the unique Son of God. Skeptics have offered numerous alternatives to the trilemma. For example, Jesus may have been a fictional character (either wholly, as someone invented to portray moral principles, or partly, based on a real person but exaggerated); his words may have been misquoted or misinterpreted; he may have been honestly mistaken about his nature; or he may have suffered some mild delusions without being completely insane. In his book "The Case For Christ", former investigative journalist Lee Strobel offers answers to several of these objections. Apologists argue that there is reliable evidence that Jesus really existed and made claims to forgive sins and send prophets, which in the Jewish monotheistic culture would be taken as claims of Godhood. Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... The Case for Christ The Case for Christ: A Journalists Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (1998) is a Gold Medallion Book Award winner by Christian apologist and former journalist Lee Strobel supporting the thesis that Jesus of Nazareth was the unique son of God. ... Former atheist and Christian Apologist Lee Strobel Lee Strobel, a former legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, is a Christian apologist and former teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. ...

Another possibility is that Jesus only meant to speak of himself as a son of God, in the same way that all of humanity are sons and daughters of God. Critics claim that the New Testament does not quote Jesus as directly claiming to be the unique "Son of God". Christian apologists argue that other quotations of Jesus prove that he did indeed consider himself the only Son of God. They refer to scriptural quotations by Satan, demons, and Jesus's disciples that refer to him as the Son of God (see especially Matthew 4:3, Matthew 8:29, Mark 3:11, and Matthew 14:33), after which Jesus does not correct them. They also point to John 3:16, where they argue Jesus is referring to himself as the unique Son of God; John 8:58, where Jesus says "Before Abraham was, I am" (egō eimi εγὼ ειμἱ), taken by apologists as reference to the Tetragrammaton; and to Mark 2:5, where Jesus forgives the sin of a paralytic. On the one occasion where Jesus is reported as asked directly (Matthew 26:63), he does not give a direct answer, instead replying "su eipas", which roughly translates as "you have said it yourself", and going on to say something about the Son of Man that will be seated in the clouds. John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Tetragrammaton (Greek: τετραγράμματον; word with four letters) is the usual reference to the Hebrew name for God, which is spelled (in the Hebrew alphabet): (yodh) (heh) (vav) (heh) or (YHWH). ... The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self. ...

Trilemmas in economics

In economics, the trilemma (or "impossible trinity") is a term used in discussing the problems associated with creating a stable international financial system. It refers to the trade-offs between the following three goals: a fixed exchange rate, national independence in monetary policy, and capital mobility. According to the Mundell-Fleming model, a small, open economy cannot achieve all three of these policy goals at the same time: in pursuing any two of these goals, a nation must forego the third.[1] Buyers bargain for good prices while sellers put forth their best front in Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala. ... The Impossible Trinity is the hypothesis in international economics that it is not possible to have A fixed exchange rate Free capital movement An independent monetary policy. ... A fixed exchange rate, sometimes (less commonly) called a pegged exchange rate, is a type of exchange rate regime wherein a currencys value is matched to the value of another single currency or to a basket of other currencies, or to another measure of value, such as gold. ... Monetary policy is the government or central bank process of managing money supply to achieve specific goals—such as constraining inflation, maintaining an exchange rate, achieving full employment or economic growth. ... The Mundell-Fleming model is an economic model first set forth by Robert Mundell and Marcus Fleming. ...

Stephen Pinker noted another social trilemma in his book The Blank Slate: that a society cannot be simultaneously fair, free and equal. If it is fair, individuals who work harder will accumulate more wealth; if it is free, parents will leave the bulk of their inheritance to their children; but then it will not be equal, as people will begin life with different fortunes. Steven Pinker (born September 18, 1954, in Montreal, Canada) is a psychologist at Harvard University and a writer of popular science books. ... The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature is a 2002 book (published by Penguin Putnam, ISBN 0670031518) by Steven Pinker arguing against tabula rasa models of psychology, claiming that the human mind is shaped by evolutionary psychological adaptations. ...

Arthur C. Clarke cited a management trilemma between a product being done quickly, cheaply and of high quality.^{[citation needed]} In the software industry, this means that one can pick any two of: fastest time to market, highest software quality (fewest defects), and lowest cost (headcount). This is the basis of the popular project-management aphorism "Quick, Cheap, Good: Pick two". Sir Arthur C. Clarke Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British author and inventor, most famous for his science-fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...

Munchhausen-Trilemma

Main article: Munchhausen-Trilemma

In the theory of knowledge the Munchhausen-Trilemma is a philosophical term coined to stress the impossibility to prove any certain truth even in the fields of logic and mathematics. Its name is going back to a logical proof of the German philosopher Hans Albert. This proof runs as follows: All of the only three possible attempts to get a certain justification must fail: Munchhausen-Trilemma is a philosophical term coined to stress the impossibility to prove any certain truth even in the fields of logic and mathematics. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Knowledge. ... Hans Albert (1921-) is a German philosopher. ...

1. All justifications in pursuit of certain knowledge have also to justify the means of their justification and doing so they have to justify anew the means of their justification. Therefore there can be no end. We are faced with the hopeless situation of an 'infinite regression'.
2. One can stop at self-evidence or common sense or fundamental principles or speaking 'ex cathedra' or at any other evidence, but in doing so the intention to install certain justification is abandoned.
3. The third horn of the trilemma is the application of a circular and therefore invalid argument.

Turtles all the way down refers to an infinite regression myth about the nature of the universe (see Cosmology). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Papal infallibility. ...

External links

• Turkel and the Trilemma
• Holding and the Trilemma
• Discussion of Lewis, McDowell and the Trilemma
  Other comments by the same author on Narnia may appear at The Life and Opinions of Andrew Rilstone.