Roger

Amanojack,

Hi.  I agree with you completely and like the phrase "religion for intellectuals".   I just don't see the difference in saying that numbers and mathematics exist somewhere but we can never show you where and saying that other things exist somewhere but we can't show you where.  But, trying to get even very intelligent people (ie, your example of Goedel) to see this or even listen to this type of reasoning seems almost impossible.  Oh, well!   Thanks!

                                                                                                                    Roger 

Kharfa,

Thanks for your comment.  In response,

o You seem to be asserting anti-realism and trying to arrive at a correct ontology using an Aristotelian application of deductive logic. Would you like some help with that?

I'm not denying the reality of anything that you can show me. Please show me where "2+2=4" is or where it exists. Using that type of argument that things like this exist is like saying Santa Claus exists. That's possible, but we can't prove it or disprove it, and you can't show him to me. There's no point in discussing it. And,... (read more)

Hi.  After reading your posting on the mathematical universe, my coments are:

• The only way "2+2=4" can exist is if there are first two existent objects and then a mind to come up with the construct describing their addition. "2+2=4" doesn't exist on its own.

• My own view for why there is "something" rather than "nothing" is:

  1. There are two choices for why there is "something" rather than "nothing":

     A. "Something" has always been here. B. "Something" hasn't always been here.

... (read more)