Why does the Universe exist?

@JLNobody,

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the equally absurd construct of nothingness.

I for one JL see nothing absurd about the concept. In fact it seems much more likely than our present state, much easier to posit compared with today's huge, complex somethingness seemingly impossible to account for

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@dalehileman,

If the universe, despite its lack of "finitude," has no "outside"--or even no "before" its creation--we are stuck with two absurdities. That does not disprove the possibility of their reality. By the same token, my sense of the absurdity of the notion of "nothingness"--as well as "infinity" and "finitude"--does not take from them their utility. I think, with Nietzsche, that a notion can be useful without being absolutely "true."

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@JLNobody,

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If the universe, despite its lack of "finitude," has no "outside"

A lack of finitude presumably would make it infinite in which case the idea of an “outside” seems superfluous

However JL for various intuitional reasons I can’t feature one infinite

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--or even no "before" its creation--we are stuck with two absurdities.

I presume you mean (1) the q, Why does anything exist at all? and (2) the idea of nothingness

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That does not disprove the possibility of their reality.

If by “that” you mean the two topics above of course it doesn’t, it isn’t intended to. Both the q and the idea are very real but I still can’t see anything absurd about either

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By the same token, my sense of the absurdity of the notion of "nothingness"--as well as "infinity" and "finitude"--does not take from them their utility.

Of course your sense has no effect whatever on such ideas but I still can’t see anything absurd about them, you still need to elaborate for the benefit of the Average Clod (me)

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@dalehileman,

I "sense"--and this, I suppose, is just me--an element of "absurdity" in virtually everything. By that I mean arbitrariness/artificiality, paradox, relativity and ambiguity. But I must add that I do not see this as bad, as a failing of Reality. It's just the way the world is, and, frankly, I embrace it. I would dislike a world more in keeping with the metaphysical ideals of Plato.

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@JLNobody,

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--an element of "absurdity" in virtually everything.

In accordance with the general idea that nothing is entirely anything while everything is partly something else, I’m forced to agree. Absurdity being less prominent in the notions of existence and nothingness however, a clarification is still in order

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@JLNobody,

While I do agree with what you say, I simultaneously feel that the source of the greatest absurdities is invariably human preconception. It is cause for both laughter and crying.

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@Cyracuz,

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It is cause for both laughter and crying.

And wonder, and contemplation as well

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@dalehileman,

Wow! How pleasant to agree with what the two of you have to say on the matter. Look at what my signature line has to say on civil discourse.

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@JLNobody,

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my signature line

Forgive me JL but where does one find it

http://onelook.com/?w=signature+line&ls=a

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@dalehileman,

At the bottom of my posts. It says: " The spirit of civil conversation consists in building on another's observation, not overturning it."

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@JLNobody,

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At the bottom of my posts.

Forgive me JL but I don’t see it anywhere. Perhaps glitch or latent option on my side

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@dalehileman,

I think you have to go into the settings of your own profile and enable signature lines. They don't show by default I think.

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@dalehileman,

Strange, I don't see a signature line below your posts, but I do for Cryacuz and many others.

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@JLNobody,

I suspect that as dale is apparently unfamiliar with signature lines, he probably doesn't have one.

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Strange, I don't see a signature line below your posts,

Perhaps because I never composed one

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but I do for Cryacuz and many others.

I don’t see one ‘neath Cyr. As I said, maybe there’s a kind of software subtlety at work

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@Cyracuz,

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They don't show by default I think.

Doubtless

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@Cyracuz,

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, he probably doesn't have one.

Surely that’s it
“Latent option,” as I described it

But let’s get back to The Universe

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@dalehileman,

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, he probably doesn't have one.

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Surely that’s it
“Latent option,” as I described it

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But let’s get back to The Universe

yes lets

the existence of the Universe has nothing to do with thought

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@north,

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the existence of the Universe has nothing to do with thought

Well North I’m not so sure I agree, depending on how you define “thought”

http://able2know.org/topic/196343-1

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@dalehileman,

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the existence of the Universe has nothing to do with thought

Well North I’m not so sure I agree, depending on how you define “thought”

http://able2know.org/topic/196343-1

[/quote]

how ever you define " thought " whether without or with god is irrelevant , really

the Universe doen't care

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Why does the Universe exist?

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