Dilemmas

work by Ryle

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June 25, 2026

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Gilbert Ryle's work Dilemmas (1954) explores seemingly irreconcilable propositions, such as the conflict between free will and fatalism. Ryle believed that these dilemmas arise from conceptual confusion in how language is applied, particularly between logical and event-based language.1

In logic, a dilemma is a form of argument with two hypothetical major premises and a disjunctive minor premise, leading to a conclusion. Rhetorically, a dilemma often refers to a situation where all available choices lead to an undesirable outcome. Ryle's approach aimed to resolve such conceptual confusions by clarifying language use.21

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Gilbert Ryle
In Dilemmas (1954) Ryle analyzes propositions that appear irreconcilable, as when free will is set in opposition to the fatalistic view that future specific events are inevitable. He believed that the dilemmas posed by these seemingly contradictory propositions could be resolved only by viewing them as…
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In Dilemmas (1954) Ryle analyzes propositions that appear irreconcilable, as when free will is set in opposition to the fatalistic view that future specific events are inevitable. He believed that the dilemmas posed by these seemingly contradictory propositions could be resolved only by viewing them as…
Read More