Most knowledgeable people recognize that in theory, at least on paper, the concept of infinity has merit, even if it is difficult to pin down. Some, however, say that this concept presents a logical contradiction. A real infinity cannot exist and then there had to be a “in the beginning”, a first cause, but 1) how is a something created out of nothing and 2) what was the first cause that caused the first cause? The following arises from my point of view in a debate I had with an accidental meta-doctor that I have hopefully edited for the sake of clarity.
# Defining the Infinite
In reality, people (philosophers, mathematicians and others) differ in the definition of infinite series, or rather in the concept of infinity. Many tend to opt for the philosophical or mathematical definition that has infinity as a concept, not as a number. I (and others) have opted for the practical definition that is along the lines of no matter how far you go (in time or space), you can always go even further, and further with no end in sight.
I will be adamant that infinity exists in a practical, real-world sense, though not in a philosophical sense. I define infinity along the lines that if no matter how far you go (in time and / or space) you can go further, and further and further over and over again, that is a practical, functional definition of real reality of infinity. This works for me. I could care less if it doesn’t work for others.
# Infinity and the greatest being (God)
My point of view remains that if the cosmos and everything in it is infinite (in a practical sense), then there is no need for any first cause and therefore there was nothing that actually created our cosmic something. There is no requirement for a Maximally Greater Being (i.e. God)
Our cosmos cannot be infinite according to some like my ‘Accident Meta-medic’, therefore it was created by a Maximally Greater Being. The cosmos had a beginning. Any Maximally Greater Being must be eternal but cannot be infinite (since infinity is just a concept). However, any Maximally Greater Being could NOT have been created in itself (according to my ‘Accident Meta-doctor’) since you cannot create yourself. Therefore, no Maximally Great Being did NOT have a beginning. Therein lies a contradiction! Two things are linked – the cosmos and its Highest Maximum Self – as both are NOT infinite, yet one had an “in the beginning” and the other did not. That doesn’t make sense, therefore, crazy about it!
# Eternal life?
Someone who “never died” would have an infinite lifespan. An infinite lifespan could deal with an infinite series (just like a finite lifespan can deal with a finite series).
But I note here that those who argue that a real infinity is impossible often fail to address the concept of an eternal (infinite) life after death. Do you or do you get eternal life or eternal life when and if you go to heaven? If not, you will only get finite heavenly eternal life. Then what is? True believers must clearly believe in their Maximally Greater Self when He says that you will get eternal life or eternal life after you leave this death spiral, but on the other hand they also argue or say that eternal or eternal (synonymous with infinity) does not it’s possible. . Therefore, they should kindly clarify which point of view they logically believe in, or do not really understand what they are talking about, as their world views are seemingly in contradictory conflict.
Translated, my meta accident doctor believes that his afterlife (assuming an afterlife) will be finite, which seems to go against the biblical words “eternal” or “eternal”. So be it. In a sense, I hope he is the one for an infinite afterlife it would be absolutely boring, since whatever you do, I guess you do things in an afterlife, you will have done it an infinite number of times before. However, that is a separate issue from an infinite cosmos or an infinite sky. In an infinite cosmos, you can go in and out of existence an infinite number of times, but you are blessed by not having to remember all those previous existences, which you could not do in any case since the memory capacity of the brain is finite and Therefore, he could not cope with an infinite number of past or previous memories.
In conclusion, one can go through an infinite series if he is immortal and therefore has an infinite amount of time to play. Doesn’t the Most Great Being promise eternal life or eternal life or eternal life or eternal life, or do you only get a finite existence in Heaven? Counting all the digits of Pi could give those with eternal life something useful to do in their eternal life.
# Infinity in time and / or space (i.e. Spatial Infinity / Temporal Infinity)
If you can’t find any limits to the Universe, that establishes that, for all practical purposes, the Universe is infinite (at least in space). A rose by any other name seems to apply here.
My little red rose whispers to me that if there are no limits, then you have a state of eternity and eternity is for me and my little red rose is synonymous with the term infinity or infinity.
Infinite means there is no end point. That in itself does not exclude that the cosmos is spatially or temporally infinite. However, I do not adopt the idea that the present moment constitutes an end point of everything that preceded it. There is no “present moment”, which has to be a kind of “boundary” between a past that no longer exists and a future that does not yet exist *.
A cause that produces an effect slides over a period of time. You are driving, you see the green light change to yellow, you put on the brakes and stop. You are the cleanup hitter and you see the pitcher finish and throw the ball and you swing and hit a home run. Each of these events slides over a time interval. There was no “present moment.” If there is something called “the present moment,” what is it? Does it last five minutes? duration of five seconds; a duration of half a second; 0.05 seconds; 0.005 seconds; 0.005 seconds? Is there such a thing as “the present moment” or does the past slide into the future infinitely fast?
#Infinity in Cosmology
You can never really know if something, like the cosmos, is infinite, as there is always more to explore. Therefore, it cannot be concluded in any way whether the cosmos is really infinite or not. Only if you hit a limit, in space or time (as in a First Cause) can you absolutely conclude that the cosmos is not infinite. The fact that you can never achieve an infinite journey to its conclusion does not necessarily mean that infinity is not actually the state of affairs.
# Infinity and Cosmologists
Some say that the subject of infinity is not within the realm of cosmology. The accidental metamedic suggests that the concept of infinity is outside the realm of cosmology as it is just a mathematical / philosophical concept with no actual reality. Since there can be no reality to infinity, it has no place in cosmology nor should cosmologists consider the issue.
Cosmologists may or may not agree. That’s for them to decide, no one else.
IMHO, the concept of infinity in space and / or time falls within the jurisdiction of cosmology and cosmologists. Obviously, mathematics / philosophy and its associated mathematicians / philosophers also play with the concept. The concept need not be intellectually limited to this profession or that profession.
Infinity may be a mathematical / philosophical concept, but if it has relevant applications to theories about the nature of the cosmos, then infinity is fair game for cosmologists to ponder and redefine if they deem it necessary. In any case, just to repeat the obvious, what cosmologists want to reflect on or not reflect on is not the business of non-cosmologists at all.
Ah, but are professional cosmologists academically qualified to reflect on the mathematical / philosophical concept of infinity? Now some cosmologists may or may not disagree with that reasoning. Again, that’s for you to debate with the skeptics. But, I will point out in passing, being a professional cosmologist requires extensive course work in higher or advanced mathematics; no doubt many cosmologists have studied philosophy, especially philosophy of science, and metaphysics. If cosmologists want to get lyrical about the concept of infinity, that’s their right: freedom of speech applies here. If professional mathematicians and / or professional metaphysicians wish to debate them, they also have the right.
Repeating the obvious, cosmologists have the right to lyrical about infinity if they wish. If every cosmologist wrote a textbook on the reality of traversing an infinite series, well, somehow I think civilization would manage.
Now, there is an interesting aspect of the “Twilight Zone” in an infinite cosmos, as some cosmologists postulate. All matter and energy configurations would have to reoccur and therefore you and I would have to reoccur and therefore we have had this discussion before, and before that and before that, in the future. . That also gives us another future something to look forward to!
# Final thoughts and conclusions: What is infinity?
1: The cosmos is everything that is, was or will be. REASON: there is no structure greater than all that is, was, or all will be. We call that larger structure the cosmos. The cosmos is 100% of everything that is, was or will be.
2: Space is infinite. REASON: No matter how far you go in space, you can always go further and further and further. There is no limit you are faced with. It may not be a mathematical or metaphysical definition of infinity, but it is a practical definition, a definition that reflects reality, not philosophical talk. Speaking of philosophy, it also eliminates the uncomfortable question of “what lies beyond the horizon?” There is always a beyond the horizon.
3: Time is infinite. REASON: No matter how much you go back in time, you can always go back further and further and further. There is no limit you are faced with. Again, it may not be a mathematical or metaphysical definition of infinity, but it is a practical definition, a definition that reflects reality, not philosophical talk. Speaking of philosophy, it also eliminates the uncomfortable question of “what happened before that?” No matter where you are in time, there is always a before that.
Finally, any all-inclusive claim that my pontification is not supported by modern science is nonsense, as not all modern scientists adopt the particular worldview of my ‘friend’ the accidental meta-doctor, such as interviews, for example. , on PBS. The ‘Big Questions’ TV show “Closer to Truth” more than adequately demonstrates it. It is very clear that others can and have questioned his alleged “undisputed” reasoning.
* The alternative concept is that there is nothing more than “the present moment”. That there is nothing but “the present moment” is based on the logical but obvious observation that no one, no organism, nothing at all, living or non-living, has ever existed and experienced anything other than “the present moment.” That is all he wrote, since you no longer have existence in the past and no existence yet in the future.