0 If you are interested in popular catchphrases, then you have come to the right place. Now the topic of phraseological units is again in great demand, because people always want to stand out from the crowd. Don’t forget to bookmark our website so you can check back with us periodically. Today we will talk about a fairly well-known expression, this Buridanov's donkey, meaning and origin you can read a little lower.
However, before you continue, I would like to recommend you a couple of other interesting articles on the topic of proverbs and sayings. For example, what does it mean to wash the bones; how to understand The soul has gone to the heels; the meaning of the phraseological unit Awl in a sack cannot be hidden; what does it mean to be born, etc.
So let's continue What does Buridanov's donkey mean??

Buridanov's donkey- this is the name given to an extremely indecisive person who hesitates in choosing between two equivalent decisions

Example:

Asinus Buridani inter duo prata (Buridanov's donkey between two lawns).

Since ancient times, philosophers have been engaged in endless assumptions and conjectures, without trying to prove their words in practice.
One of these theories was that the actions of all living beings, without exception, depend not so much on their own will, but on external factors.

One medieval scientist became interested in this question. Jean Buridan/Buridan, who lived in sunny France in the 14th century.
Although it is worth noting that the paradox named after him was known back in the time of Aristotle.

In fact Buridan in his writings he never mentioned this hypothetical donkey, but he touched on this problem in a deeper sense. According to him, a person who is faced with this task must make a choice towards the greater good. Although this French scientist admitted that such a choice could last for some time while a person is busy assessing the results of each of the two elections.

In fact, they started talking about this donkey later; other philosophers exaggerated this problem and made it easier to understand. That's when the one appeared Buridanov's donkey, which froze at an equal distance from two haystacks of equal size and weight. As a result, this ungulate died of hunger, unable to give preference to any of these identical haystacks.

If we consider this idea within the framework of ordinary logic, then we can safely say that it does not matter what kind of hay the donkey chooses, it is important that he does not die of hunger. The option of death should not be considered at all, since nature and instincts will not allow him to do such a thing suicide.

Now we do not know whether someone in ancient times could actually carry out this experiment, but only since that time, people who hesitate for a long time, are indecisive, and are unable to make a decision for a long time, are sometimes called “Buridan’s donkeys.”

In mathematics there is Weierstrass's theorem, which can be compared to Buridan's donkey paradox:

If the donkey wants to go to the left haystack (If the continuous function at one point is positive), or eat the right haystack (and at the other - negative), or the donkey will remain in place and die of hunger (there is a point somewhere between them, where the function is equal to zero).

After reading this article, you learned meaning of Buridan's donkey, origin, and you won't get there again

Buridan's donkey what is it, Buridan's donkey, donkey between haystacks, donkey between two lawns, Buridan's donkey paradox, all about Buridan's donkey

This is a donkey that is dying of hunger, being between two identical armfuls of hay, because it cannot prefer one of them.

Sections:

The essence of the experiment / paradox

Buridan's donkey is a paradox of absolute determinism in the doctrine of will, named after Jean Buridan. According to this 14th-century French scholastic philosopher, man acts according to what his reason judges. If the mind decides that the good presented to it is a perfect and comprehensive good, then the will rushes towards it. It follows from this that if the mind recognizes one good as the highest and another as the lowest, then the will, other things being equal, will rush to the highest. When the mind recognizes both goods as equivalent, then the will cannot act at all.

To illustrate his teaching, Buridan gave the example of a donkey standing between two equally attractive bundles of hay, but unable to choose one of them. These reflections were not preserved in the works of the philosopher known to us, so it is not known for sure whether this is true or fiction. According to Wikipedia [link], this paradox is known from the works of Aristotle, who posed the question: how can a donkey, given two equally tempting treats, still rationally make a choice? Buridan himself touched on a similar topic, defending the position of moral determinism - that a person, faced with a choice, must choose in the direction of the greater good. Buridan admitted that choice could be slowed down by evaluating the results of each choice. His point of view was later exaggerated by other writers, arguing that a donkey, choosing between two equally accessible and good haystacks, would certainly die of hunger. Leibniz popularized this version.

Marginalized

The ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his essay “On Heaven” spoke about a man who, despite hunger and thirst, being at the same distance from food and water, continues to remain in the same place, not daring to extend a hand to either one [link] .

Interpretations No donkeys were harmed
According to rumors, giving the example of a donkey, Buridan asked listeners: “However, where have you seen donkeys die in such situations?” If they could not make a choice, then, probably, all of Asia would be littered with donkey corpses. Donkeys walk quite calmly across Asia between armfuls of hay or between two identical meadows and chew both with appetite. From this we can conclude that the behavior of an animal, and even more so a person, is not determined by external circumstances, and since philosophical donkeys do not die, it means that free will exists [link]. The conclusion above is very comforting, however, given that Buridan was a religious philosopher, the author considers the following nuance important: the paradox shows the powerlessness of reason, since free will decides everything on the basis of faith. If we have two solutions, and they are absolutely identical, then the mind comes to a contradiction and cannot offer a rational way out of it. To still make a choice, you need faith [link].

In the typology of conflicts, the position of Buridan’s donkey is called an “appetitive-appetent” conflict [link].

Image in culture

There is a proverb in Latin: “Asinus Buridani inter duo prata” - “Buridani’s donkey between two lawns.”
The expression “Buridan's donkey” has become a phraseological unit. This is an ironic name for an indecisive person who hesitates in choosing between two equal desires.
On the website of Alexander Shcherbina, a Moscow singer-songwriter, you can find a song by the vagants named after Buridan’s donkey [link].
The name "Buridan's Donkey" is given to one of the Tarot card layouts [link].
The Italian writer Eugenio Montale has a story of the same name, dedicated to the rather pressing issue of elections [link].
The same name is given to the novel by Gunter de Bruyn, where the protagonist, entangled in a love affair, finds himself in the position of Buridan's ass.
In The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, who needs no introduction, writes (by the way, even before Buridan):
Between two equally enticing dishes, free
In their choice, I wouldn’t bring it to my teeth
Not a single one and would have died hungry...

So the lamb would hesitate between two threats
Voracious wolves, equally feared;
This is how a dog would hesitate between two deer.

And the fact that I was silent, equally languid
Doubts, considered neither good nor evil
It is impossible, since this path is necessary.
In Henry Lyon Oldie's "Heroes' Home" there is an allusion to a donkey:
At the fork - here Vysokoparnaya, like the sting of a snake, forked into Pipinov Boulevard and Degtyarnikov Street - the hinny stopped in indecision. He danced on the spot, looking like the legendary dragon Berrida Scalewing, who was unable to choose between two princesses and died twice: from hunger and longing for family life.
Blogger Alenson compares Buridan's donkey paradox with Weierstrass's theorem in mathematics:
If a continuous function at one point is positive (=donkey wants to go left), and at another point it is negative (=donkey wants to go to the right), then somewhere between them there is a point where the function is equal to zero (=donkey doesn’t want to go anywhere, prepare a funeral) .

Buridanov's donkey

Winged words are a treasure that enriches our speech. By how and when we say them, we can judge both the level of intelligence and education in general.

These “volatile” expressions sound different. Some proudly and pompously - “I came, I saw, I conquered!”, others - eccentrically - “Not a hat for Stenka”, and still others...

Agree when you hear the phrase “ Buridanov's donkey“A stupid, stubborn animal emerges in the imagination. Let me first rehabilitate the cutie donkey. After all, this hardy and kind-hearted artiodactyl was credited with extraordinary stubbornness, which he does not possess at all.

Mountain guides load him with luggage, and will always prefer him to a skittish and heavy horse. Therefore, let's admit - myth about donkey stubbornness has nothing to do with reality.

If we have heard the phrase “Buridan’s donkey”, then who knows something about the “owner” of the donkey? Tell me, who is Buridan? Does the fact that everyone knows about his cutest animal mean that Buridan was great?

Story- the lady is whimsical. If it weren’t for the connection “donkey – Buridan”, no one would have ever remembered that in the 14th century in distant and beautiful France there lived a certain philosopher - a scholastic. He wrote abstruse treatises, dabbled in words, and even left something about himself in handwritten form. But it must be admitted that his creations were not particularly popular, and there was no fame during his lifetime.

But after his death, with someone’s light hand, someone suddenly remembered that it seemed Jean Buridan used to say about a donkey that will die of hunger if two identical armfuls of hay are placed to the right and left of it at the same accessible distance. This statement does not mean at all that Mr. Buridan was engaged in empirics. He just assumed that it would happen!

Although, in fairness, it should be said that the emergence of the idea of the severity of choice was WRITTEN for the first time Aristotle. His work “On Heaven” talks about a man who is hungry and deprived of drink. And although he himself is calm, and food and water are also at equal distances, death may well await him due to indecision.

And, of course, great Dante in the eternal “Divine Comedy”, in the 4th song “Paradise”, he talks about a person who would rather starve to death than covet two completely identical dishes, equidistant from him, which will not allow him to give up his freedom of choice.

Whether Jean Buridan was a plagiarist, we will never know. Have you read the works of the great Masters, or did you think of it yourself (and did you even think of it at all)? However origin story the wonderful phrase “Buridan’s donkey” was presented to him. And if he was not famous during his lifetime, he could be proud of his posthumous fame.

P.S. Can you always make a choice from an equal? Then phraseological unit“Buridan’s donkey” is not about you...

Entertaining philosophy [Tutorial] Balashov Lev Evdokimovich

Buridanov's donkey

Buridanov's donkey

At the Faculty of Philosophy of the Sorbonne, it was the rector who gave lectures, and his name was Jean Buridan. He was famous for coming up with an original solution to the Liar paradox. But what or who forever glorified Rector Jean was his philosophical ass. According to rumors, Buridan, discussing free will at lectures, year after year painted the following colorful picture in front of careless students - imagine a donkey standing at exactly the same distance between two armfuls of lush hay. So what should he do?

Both armfuls are equally attractive and tasty, and our poor donkey should quietly die of hunger, never having decided which hay to choose!

“However, where have you seen donkeys die in such situations?” - Buridan asked the listeners. If this were so, then probably all of Asia would be littered with donkey corpses. Donkeys walk quite calmly across Asia between armfuls of hay or between two identical meadows and chew both with appetite.

This means, Buridan concludes, the behavior of an animal, and even more so a person, is not determined by external circumstances, and since philosophical donkeys do not die, it means that free will exists! Hooray!

It can be assumed that the listeners liked this example so much or, on the contrary, got so tired of this example with the donkey that they forever and ever linked it with Buridan and called the donkey in Latin Buridanov - it turned out: " Asinus Buridani inter duo prata" - Buridanov's donkey between two meadows .

But here's what's surprising! In the works of Buridan himself, his famous Donkey is not found. It turns out that Buridanov's Donkey is not Buridanov's Donkey! Then whose is it?

But whose - the situation of choice with two identical possibilities is already found among ancient philosophers, and immediately before Buridan, Dante spoke about almost the same thing in his great “Divine Comedy”:

Between two equally enticing dishes, free

In their choice, I wouldn’t bring it to my teeth

Not a single one and would have died hungry...

So the lamb would hesitate between two threats

Voracious wolves, equally feared;

This is how a dog would hesitate between two deer.

And the fact that I was silent, equally languid

Doubts, considered neither good nor evil

It’s impossible, since this path is necessary.”

According to the teachings of the 14th century French philosopher Jean Buridan, a person acts according to what his mind judges. If the mind decides that the good presented to it is a perfect and comprehensive good, then the will rushes towards it. It follows from this that if the mind recognizes one good as the highest and another as the lowest, then the will, other things being equal, will rush to the highest. When the mind recognizes both goods as equivalent, then the will cannot act at all. To illustrate his teaching, Buridan cited a donkey standing between two equally attractive bundles of hay, but unable to choose one of them. Therefore, Buridan's donkey is called an indecisive person who hesitates in choosing between two equal desires. These reflections have not been preserved in the philosopher’s surviving works, so it is not known for certain whether this is true or fiction, although the proverb in Latin “Asinus Buridani inter duo prata” (“Buridan’s donkey between two meadows”) exists.

V.A. Abchuk on the importance of a balanced approach to the conscious and volitional aspects of free choice:

“...Jean Buridan composed a funny parable about a donkey who died of hunger because he could not choose one of two identical armfuls of hay left for him by his owner. The sad story of Buridan's donkey is the best illustration of what can happen if the decision maker lacks will. In this light, the strange at first glance aphorism “One bad decision is better than two good ones” becomes understandable...

The necessity and importance of the volitional beginning of the decision is undoubted. But a “strong-willed” leader faces another danger, no less terrible than the one that killed the poor donkey - the danger of reducing a decision solely to an act of will, of depriving one’s choice of wise validity. This kind of action even has a special scientific name - “voluntarism”...

So, in the word “decided”, along with the academic “it seems possible”, the metallic notes of “to be according to this” should also be clearly heard. It's all about the right proportion of "academicism" and "metal". What should this important ratio be? In half? One to two?... You will not find the answer to this question in any textbook - for each solution the proportion must be different. However, a certain general pattern can still be understood: “Measure seven times, cut once” (7:1), not vice versa. The calculated beginning of the solution, “measure,” is given clear preference. "

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From the author's book

Buridan's Donkey (?ne De Buridan) The name of the 14th century French philosopher Jean Buridan is known today exclusively thanks to this very donkey, the parable of which is attributed to him, although in none of his surviving works is any donkey mentioned. What is it all about?

The story about the donkey has very ancient origins. The foundation was laid by the ancient philosopher Aristotle. In his works, he preferred to substantiate all conclusions with examples that his contemporary could observe in the world around him, since only practice and empirics can form the basis of a theory. Describing the difficulties that a person with freedom of choice will face, this ancient Greek sage suggested imagining a donkey standing on a path between two lawns and cannot decide where to go to graze.

In the Middle Ages, the works of ancient authors were studied selectively. Contrary to established ideas about total censorship and the raging Inquisition, in those days there were also philosophers and scientists, albeit loyal to the church and ready, if necessary, to support their colleagues from the theological workshop.

Among the prominent scientists of the Middle Ages was Jean Buridan. His memory has been preserved thanks to his works on mechanics and commentaries on the works of Aristotle. It's interesting that none of the books written by Buridan make any mention of the above-mentioned donkey paradox.

Nevertheless, the story of how Buridan, telling about the difficulty of choice, gave the example of a donkey, has been preserved in the people's memory. There are different versions of this story. In some, the scientist himself, mocking his pet, offers him two pieces of hay equal in size and quality. There is even a dramatic ending to this event - an animal unable to make a choice dies of hunger. In other versions of the retelling, Jean Buridan is only the theorist of feeding donkeys with hay.

One can come to the conclusion that Jean Buridan himself came to the conclusions that Aristotle had made before him. Because of this, the paradox is remembered with the name of the thinker closest to modernity.

The meaning of phraseology

The image of a crossroads where the hero of the story spends time is characteristic even of folk tales, whose history is much more ancient than that of philosophical teachings. From time immemorial, people have noticed that making a choice is very difficult. In the paradox, this situation is reflected most clearly and reliably. The tragic ending of the experiment once again emphasizes the moral of the story.

Buridan's donkey is a person who finds it difficult to decide among the prospects that life offers him.

There may be several reasons for indecisiveness in choosing your option:
the desire to get double benefits without taking any risks. A person waits, watches for changes in order to settle on a win-win option;
inability to make independent decisions, lack of a clear understanding of what exactly the soul desires;

a state of being overwhelmed by what is offered. If a person has an underestimated assessment of the world around him, then even to a standard alternative he can respond with a state of shock. In this case, the one who is called Buridan’s donkey is simply wasting time, since the choice should be made as quickly as possible. Offers have a certain expiration date and will soon become irrelevant. The image of the animal itself, which people do not consider very intelligent, suggests that.