hans magnus enzensberger

Homage to Gödel

‘Pull yourself out of the mire
by your own hair’: Münchausen’s theorem
is charming, but do not forget
the Baron was a great liar.

Gödel’s theorem may seem, at first sight,
rather nondescript,
but please keep in mind
Gödel is right.

‘In any sufficiently rich system
statements are possible
which can neither be proved
nor refuted within the system,
unless the system itself
is inconsistent.’

You can describe your own language
in your own language:
but not quite.
You can investigate your own brain
by means of your own brain:
but not quite.
Etc.

In order to be vindicated
any conceivable system
must transcend, and that means,
destroy itself.

‘Sufficiently rich’ or not:
Freedom from contradiction
is either a deficiency symptom
or it amounts to a contradiction.

(Certainty = Inconsistency)

Any conceivable horseman,
including Münchausen,
including yourself, is a subsystem
of a sufficiently rich mire.

And a subsystem of this subsystem
is your own hair,
favourite tackle
of reformists and liars.

In any sufficiently rich system
including the present mire
statements are possible
which can neither be proved
nor refuted within the system.

These are the statements
to grasp and pull!


trans by author