Khafri and the Liar Paradox

Al-Khafri, a celebrated philosopher of Shiraz philosophical school and the inheritor of the two rival schools of Jalaliyya and Sadriyya, has written two important treatises on the liar paradox. This enigma, which is called al-jadhr al-asamm by Muslim logicians, is among controversial matters of Shiraz philosophical epoch. In a short monograph called Ibrat al-Fudala, al-Khafri deals with analysis and criticism of his master al-Dawani and then offers three solutions without presenting a precise formulation of the enigma. He organizes his detailed treatise, called Hayrat al-Fudala, in accordance with the structure of al-Dawani's Nihayat al-Kalam: An introduction, on presentation of four formulations of the enigma; the first aim, on the report and criticism of predecessors; and the second aim, on offering five solutions of the author. Although the two treatises are written in two different times, al-Khafri has written the second one in completion as well as consideration of the first. In solving the enigma of al-Jadhr al-asamm, al-Khafri has several meta-logical deliberations: He treats the enigma of al-jadhr al-asamm, as pseudo-paradox and offers various solutions for it. All of his solutions in both treatises are based upon choosing untruth of "all my words are untrue" and solving the problem of contradiction on the basis of distinction of modes especially two kinds of truth and untruth, divergence of opinions of a philosopher in solving that enigma is, itself, a considerable enigma.