What is nothing?

[freethinker44]

Here is kind of a fun philosophy problem I like to think about sometimes. Still haven't figured out an answer to it yet. At least I don't think I have.

Anyways.

Does nothing exist?
If so, what is it?
Is nothing the absence of something?


It's kind of a logical paradox.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Nothing is a that which does not exist. Perhaps it is just the result of humans thinking too much. Before anyone ever conceived the idea of there being a God, what was it? But now it is something, it is an idea, a belief.

 

[freethinker44]

Nothing is a thing that does not exist. Perhaps it is just the result of humans thinking too much. Before anyone ever conceived the idea of a God, what was it?

I agree it is way over thinking it, but it is interesting to me that we can't describe nothing as something that doesn't exist, without first giving it existence and then taking the existence away.

 

[Runewolf1973]

It is an interesting concept anyways. If God is something that we deny that exists, all we do is give credence to the fact that God is in fact some thing that exists that we choose to deny. Even if it only exists in someone's mind.

 

[freethinker44]

It is an interesting concept anyways. If God is something that we deny that exists, all we do is give credence to the fact that God is in fact some thing that exists that we choose to deny. Even if it only exists in someone's mind.

I don't think god really has anything to do with it. Maybe after understanding the concept of nothingness thoroughly we might be able to apply it to the concept of god but to do so now I think is intellectually irresponsible.

 

[Aquitaine]

My best guess is that "nothing" is a subjective value you get when you do not get what you were expecting, like say if you were looking to flirt with some hot young babes at the shopping mall, and all you found were old folks - you'd say there's nothing/no-one there.

On the other hand, if you went to the mall hoping to find old people for a retirement survey (for example), you'd get there and say "this is perfect, everything that we need is right here!".

That's just my guess anyways.

 

[freethinker44]

That is ok for describing ideas, but what about physical objects. Like saying there is something in this area of space and nothing in this area of space. Does nothing occupy an area of space, and if so, couldn't we say there is something over here and the something over there is nothing?

If nothing is the opposite of something, how can you describe nothing without calling it something?

Nothing is something that does not exist, we couls substitute something and say that which does not exist but that is just a superficial change, we are basically saying nothing is something that doesn't exist.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That is ok for describing ideas, but what about physical objects.
-freethinker44-

Nothing's there only because the tangible gives it a "shape or form" and thus resulting in an illusory "somethings there" for the mind to identify. Like a Doughnut hole which then disappears when the doughnut is eaten and thus joins the nothingness of the environment.

Excuse me while I go to Tim Hortons. :coffee2:

 

[Aquitaine]

That is ok for describing ideas, but what about physical objects. Like saying there is something in this area of space and nothing in this area of space. Does nothing occupy an area of space, and if so, couldn't we say there is something over here and the something over there is nothing?

If nothing is the opposite of something, how can you describe nothing without calling it something?

Nothing is something that does not exist, we couls substitute something and say that which does not exist but that is just a superficial change, we are basically saying nothing is something that doesn't exist.

Well there are still atoms and molecules in "empty space" and others things that we call "nothing", so I guess there is no such thing as "nothing".

 

[Runewolf1973]

I don't think god really has anything to do with it. Maybe after understanding the concept of nothingness thoroughly we might be able to apply it to the concept of god but to do so now I think is intellectually irresponsible.

I was using God as an example of nothingness. Perhaps the word nothing makes more sense when one describes it as no-things. As in non-existence.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Here is kind of a fun philosophy problem I like to think about sometimes. Still haven't figured out an answer to it yet. At least I don't think I have.

Anyways.

Does nothing exist?
If so, what is it?
Is nothing the absence of something?


It's kind of a logical paradox.

Is does seem like a paradox. I would then say...at the moment you know what the nothing is...it become "something"

I guess it's still a paradox.:sad:

 

[freethinker44]

Is does seem like a paradox. I would then say...at the moment you know what the nothing is...it become "something"

I guess it's still a paradox.:sad:

Exactly. How do you describe something as nothing. The minute you realize it is nothing, it is then something.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Exactly. How do you describe something as nothing. The minute you realize it is nothing, it is then something.

Not to mention if something was truly nothing you would never know it was ever there.
So I would surmise that in order to make any "identification" it would require a "formed" something to contrast with the "un-formed" nothing anywhere from macro to micro levels. All interrelated and connected as can be conceivably expressed.

:thud:I'm spent. G-night

 

[Willamena]

Here is kind of a fun philosophy problem I like to think about sometimes. Still haven't figured out an answer to it yet. At least I don't think I have.

Anyways.

Does nothing exist?
If so, what is it?
Is nothing the absence of something?


It's kind of a logical paradox.

Nothing does exist --if it didn't, we'd have nothing to talk about.

Nothing is the negation of "something".

Edit: We negate things in language --nothing in the "real world" is negated, it's just what it is.

 

[freethinker44]

Nothing does exist --if it didn't, we'd have nothing to talk about.

Nothing is the negation of "something".

Edit: We negate things in language --nothing in the "real world" is negated, it's just what it is.

Right, it obviously exists. But how do you describe it without making it something.

 

[Willamena]

Right, it obviously exists. But how do you describe it without making it something.

You don't :yes:.

 

[Willamena]

Nothing does exist --if it didn't, we'd have nothing to talk about.

Sadly, even that it does we have nothing to talk about.

Poor nothing: always getting the short end of the stick.

 

[Venatoris]

I put forth that nothing did exist but no longer does.
nothing was everything before the creation of the universe, it was all there wasn't.
after the creation/big bang/whatever, nothing no longer existed unless you follow the theory that the universe is constantly expanding in which case the universe has only reached so far at this very moment and beyond that point still exists nothing.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

"Nothing" exists as a word and a concept. That doesn't make what it's describing "something." The concept of the absence of something doesn't negate the absence itself just because you apply a label to it.

 

[freethinker44]

"Nothing" exists as a word and a concept. That doesn't make what it's describing "something." The concept of the absence of something doesn't negate the absence itself just because you apply a label to it.

So wouldn't nothing just be an extention of the concept of something then.