The
Cretan philosopher Epimenides is credited with the
assertion, "
All Cretans are liars". The liar paradox assumes that
liars
always lie, and non-liars ("
truth-tellers")
always tell the truth.
Saint Paul refers to the paradox in
Titus 1:12-13, though it's unclear whether he's aware of the paradoxical
implications.
The cleanest variation: "
This sentence is false." The
Everything variation:
This node is deceptive.
Bertrand Russell claimed that
George Edward Moore lied only
once in his life:
when asked if he always
told truth, Moore
reflected a moment and replied, "
No".
Lord Dunsany's
short story,
Told Under Oath, exploits this paradox.
A Blather of Paradoxes