Is Absolute Nothingness the Same as Limitlessness?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Bartle
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the philosophical inquiry of why something exists rather than nothing. The contributor posits that "something" may be logically necessary, arguing that absolute limitlessness is incoherent because it contradicts the boundaries that define reality and logic. They suggest that if nothing equates to limitlessness, then absolute nothingness is as impossible as absolute limitlessness. The contributor encourages exploring the meaningfulness of questions by considering what answers would satisfy the inquiry and whether those answers genuinely close the knowledge gap. The thread concludes with a reminder that philosophical discussions are subject to moderation and may be closed by mentors.
John Bartle
Messages
20
Reaction score
1
I'm not a particularly edumacated guy, but I wonder about things sometimes. Right now I'm wondering why something but not nothing. Why does anything exist, and not nothing? My real question, however, is below.

Unfortunately, because I'm not really smart I don't suppose I will have much to contribute to any possible consequential post.

It seems to me that "something" may be ABSOLUTELY logically necessary as opposed to "nothing". The first part of my reason for this would be the proposition that ABSOLUTE limitlessness in EVERY way is ABSOLUTELY logically incoherent. Absolute limitlessness entails that any and all reality, including logic, is incompatible and inapplicable with limitlessness. The reason would be that every boundary that differentiates the precise reality of everything would be utterly contradicted and defied by "this" limitless thing. This is logically incoherent.

The second part of my reasoning would be that nothing sounds an awful lot like limitlessness. IF nothing actually is limitlessness then, apparently, absolute nothing is impossible just as absolute limitlessness is impossible. What I'm really wondering is, does absolute nothing seem equivalent to absolute limitlessness?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
A good way to work whether a question is meaningful is sensible is to ask yourself - 'what sort of answer would satisfy me?'. The hypothetical answer doesn't have to be true. It just has to be something that, if it were true, would seem to appropriately close the gap in knowledge at which the question is trying to point.

If you can find such a hypothetical answer, which will be of the form 'because X is the case', then ask the question - 'why is X the case?'. Then reflect on whether you feel the answer X has really closed the knowledge gap at all.
 
Thread closed. The question, such as it is, appears to be philosophical in nature, a category that is strictly limited at this site. From the forum rules:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/physics-forums-global-guidelines.414380/ said:
Philosophical discussions are permitted only at the discretion of the mentors and may be deleted or closed without warning or appeal.
 

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
15
Views
5K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 58 ·
2
Replies
58
Views
3K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 416 ·
14
Replies
416
Views
91K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
3K