From: everything-list@googlegroups.com
[mailto:everything-list@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bruno Marchal
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2014 12:23 AM
To: everything-list@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: If it's all math, then where does math come from?
On 01 Mar 2014, at 06:16, Chris de Morsella wrote:
"If it's all math, then where does math come from?"
>>Strange to say, elementary maths just appears to be a fact. That is, it is
a fact that 1+1=2.
Somehow I do not find that satisfying; in what way and by what evidence does
this occur?
Especially - as I had posited if math is the fundamental thing - even more
fundamental than the emergent material universe. I could see this logic in a
pre-existing universe replete with 10 to a very large number of atoms, but
if math is to be the superstructure underlying everything then I - speaking
for myself - am not satisfied by saying it just is a fact.
But do you agree with 1+1=2?
I agree that math is internally consistent and that within mathematical
ontology it is self-consistent. Furthermore it seems to crop up in reality
again and again. Patterns, equations, such as say the Fibonacci series
manifesting in so many unrelated places; the universe in its reduced symbol
set of "smeared" quarks and leptons; its constants and various cardinal
values and states such as spin, color, charge etc. - it does all seem very
binary and mathematical.
I however remain curious, where "1" came from, and even before 1, the null
set. the set of nothing at all. The null set is a lot more than nothing. It
takes a great leap to get from nothing to the null set. At this most
reductionist of levels; is this where everyone gives up, perhaps because it
is unknowable.
I can see the logical progression from 1+1=2 to an ever inflating infinite
forest of numbers with infinite overlays of dynamism operating over layer
and layers of stochastic boundaries.
Because the rest is sunday philosophy in my opinion.
Of course, in "my" theory 1+1=2 is just a theorem. The interesting things is
that "Chris believes (or not) in 1+1=2" is also a theorem.
Sure. an emergent phenomena; don't really have any existential issues with
my being, being emergent.. In fact I rather like the idea of emerging into
being. It fits with the brains massive parallelism and lack of any central
operating system (that we have found). I emerge; therefore I am.
Chris
Bruno
Chris
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