In the
context of
language , a statement that refers to itself or contains its own referent (
see reference ). Self-referential statements may be redundant, e.g., "this is an English sentence", in the sense that the statement informs (
see information ) what a speaker of the English language already presumes in order to interpret it (
see redundancy ). They may also be manifestly false or contradictory, e.g., "this is a French sentence" or "this sentence contains four words". Self-referential statements may also be e.g., "this sentence is false". Paradoxical self-reference is said to exhibit a vicious cycle (
see paradox ). In the more general sense, self-reference is involved in a description which refers to something that affects,
controls or has the power to modify the form or the validity of that description. The circularity which the statement implies involves non-linguistic contexts as well. E.g., a
self-fulfilling prophesy, double bind , the description of a
system by an observer who is part of the system observed, the cognitive
organization of biological organisms. In this general sense, self-reference establishes a circularity that may involve not only referential but also causal, interpersonal or instrumental
relations and thereby constitute (
see constitution ) a
unity of its own. (
Krippendorff )
