Antinomy
/ænˈtɪnəmi/noun
A contradiction between two principles or conclusions that seem each to be logically or equally valid.
Did you know?Immanuel Kant famously used “antinomy” for conflicts reason encounters when it tries to answer ultimate questions about the universe, freedom, and God.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nem-
“To assign, allot, or distribute; the ancestral root behind Greek words for law and customary order.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
nomos
“A law, custom, or established order; literally something allotted or assigned.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
antinomos
“Contrary to law or opposed to established law.”
Late Greek
Greek
antinomia
“Conflict or contradiction between laws or legal principles.”
Late Latin
Latin
antinomia
“Contradiction between laws or principles.”
16th Century
English
antinomy
“A contradiction, especially one between apparently valid arguments or principles.”
Modern English
English
antinomy
“A paradoxical conflict in which opposing conclusions can each appear logically justified.”