Buridan's Ass.
The famous ‘case’, traditionally (but wrongly, it appears) ascribed to the Paris philosopher John Buridanus (c.1292–1358 or later), acc. to which an ass, set between two heaps of hay, absolutely equal in respect of quality and quantity, through having no motives to choose one rather than the other, died of starvation. The problem which it poses on the psychology of moral action goes back (though in another context) to ... ...
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