Which philosopher is sometimes credited with discovering the liar paradox?
The liar paradox is often associated with two figures from ancient Greece. The paradox is frequently attributed to the 6th-century BCE Cretan seer Epimenides, who famously declared that "all Cretans are liars," a statement that creates a contradiction if one assumes he is telling the truth.12
However, the philosopher most specifically credited with inventing the formal version of the paradox—often phrased as "Does a man who says that he is now lying, speak truly?"—is Eubulides of Miletus, a member of the Megarian school who lived during the 4th century BCE. While Epimenides provided the foundational observation regarding Cretan truthfulness, Eubulides is recognized for developing the liar paradox into the logical puzzle that has challenged philosophers and logicians for centuries.312