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Author Topic:   Is Infinity Real?
anselm
Junior Member (Idle past 4814 days)
Posts: 2
From: northeast Pennsylvania, USA
Joined: 12-28-2010


Message 1 of 4 (598786)
01-02-2011 1:24 PM


Arguments for a "First Cause" presented by philosophers from Aristotle to Jaki are that infinite regression is not possible. Hilbert, the great 20th Century mathematician, produced the infinite hotel paradox to show that infinity is not real. I am enough of a mathematician to understand how limiting processes can use infinity in looking at convergent series, the calculus, and so forth, and I appreciate Cantor's arguments about the cardinality of infinity. What is of interest are arguments (pro and con) about whether infinity "really" exists and, therefore, whether the universe might be finite or infinite.
Edited by anselm, : plurality didn't agree

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 Message 2 by Admin, posted 01-03-2011 9:14 AM anselm has replied

Admin
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Posts: 12993
From: EvC Forum
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Message 2 of 4 (598847)
01-03-2011 9:14 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by anselm
01-02-2011 1:24 PM


Is this proposed topic somehow related to the creation/evolution debate?

--Percy
EvC Forum Director

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by anselm, posted 01-02-2011 1:24 PM anselm has replied

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 Message 3 by anselm, posted 01-03-2011 11:03 AM Admin has not replied

anselm
Junior Member (Idle past 4814 days)
Posts: 2
From: northeast Pennsylvania, USA
Joined: 12-28-2010


Message 3 of 4 (598854)
01-03-2011 11:03 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by Admin
01-03-2011 9:14 AM


what does "related" mean?
If you're not sure which forum to put this topic in, I'd suggest "Cosmology and Big Bang". The point here is that if you want to posit cyclic universes, then you have to show that infinite regress is a valid philosophical concept. And insofar as cosmology and the Big Bang are relevant to EvC, then so is the suggested topic.
Thank you.
Anselm

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Admin, posted 01-03-2011 9:14 AM Admin has not replied

Admin
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Posts: 12993
From: EvC Forum
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Message 4 of 4 (598939)
01-04-2011 10:35 AM


Thread Copied to Coffee House Forum
Thread copied to the Is Infinity Real? thread in the Coffee House forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

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