PHIL 126 Spring 2013 Paradoxes (W)  Also offered Fall 2012
There are three grains of sand on my desk. This is unfortunate,
but at least there isn't a heap of sand on my desk. That would
be really worrisome. On the other hand, there is a heap of sand
in my backyard. I don't know how exactly how many grains of sand
are in this heap, but let's say 100,000. My daughter removes one
grain of sand. I don't know why, she just does. It seems like
there is still a heap of sand in my backyard. In fact, it seems
like you can't change a heap of sand into something that isn't a
heap of sand by removing one grain of sand. Right? But now we
have a problem. By repeated application of the same reasoning,
it seems that even after she removes 99,997 grains of sand--I
don't know what she wants with all this sand, but I'm starting
to worry about that girl--there is still a heap of sand in my
backyard. But three grains isn't enough for a heap. So there is
not a heap in my backyard. Now I'm confused. Where did my
reasoning go wrong