Can you solve this paradox?

Question

Lets say a man is going to walk for a mile. But unbeknown to him, there is an infinite number of gods waiting to stop him by raising a wall in front of him. Each god is also unaware of the other gods. Halfway, there is one god waiting to stop him, a quarter of the way there is another one. A fourth of the way there is another god, then there is one about one-eight of the way, then one-sixteenth. And it goes on infinitely.

Because each god cannot raise his wall before the one before him does, and the number of gods stretch out infinitely, does this mean that none of the gods will able to raise the wall?

Answer 1

it means that we do not know the beginning of a problem nor how to end it right away we just get mad and then years later we don't know how it started.  Same with to gods they couldn't put up the wall because the didn't know the beginning or the end.  yes they will not be able to raise a wall.

Answer 2

When you say "each god cannot raise his wall before the one before him does," do you mean that the god at halfway has to wait for all the other ones, or is he the first?

If he is first, then all the other ones don't matter I suppose, so I assume you mean he is last.

So, the way I see it, there isn't really a "first" god because there is an accumulation point at the beginning. However, if the man were to traverse any positive distance, there would be an infinite number of walls to stop him.

I guess the question is, "when does the wall go up?"

If all the walls were up, there would be no space between the man at the starting line and the walls.

Anyway, I think the walls should go up before the dude starts and he should never be able to start.

Answer 3

if there are an infinite number of gods in the mile segment, then there are no gods in the mile segment. there are no gods to raise any walls my friend.  

Answer 4

Duh, their is only one God

Answer 5

Ah, Zeno...if the line of gods stretches infinitely, there is a god at the very first step of the journey, with wall ready to raise.  Thus the walker meets the first wall immediately.

A similar situation occurs in the philosophy of the "Three Stooges," where Moe closes a door on Curly.

"The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce?", Free and Wilcock,

"Watch Your Dreams," Ann Ree Colton,

"The Masters and Their Retreats," Mark Prophet.

Answer 6

Hence, the term "paradox".

Answer 7

if he walks backward....they'll all think he's leaving.

Answer 8

I would approach this first by addressing the term "god." Augustine addresses the problem with multiple gods, in that being co-equals in the divine essence which makes them god, those which share [in] the divine essence are actually lesser than that divine essence itself; this would place us into accepting, undoubtedly, that there must indeed be a beginning to the "infinite line of god," for they are all lesser, created beings of the divine essence in which they share.

Man would be able to begin his journey indeed, if that [single], divine essence were standing for him.

Peace and love,

Phillip

Answer 9

hmm...interesting question.

with each god raising the wall, i'm assuming these are obstacles that the man has to overcome, is it timed, or based on the man overcoming one obstacle/wall before the next god raises his wall/obstacle?

because if each god cannot raise his wall till the one prior to him puts his wall down, then no i don't see how they can raise their walls, only the first one will be able to raise his wall.

BUT if it's measured by the man overcoming that obstacle/wall, then there will be at least one wall up at all times.  

Answer 10

If we treat these gods as mathematical points then there is no problem.

Answer 11

Stalemate!

First of all, there would have to be an existing wall to start with.