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A world without numbers

TheMadFool July 18, 2017 at 08:07 2750 views 5 comments
Our world is ruled by numbers. Either arithmetic is directly or indirectly involved. This reality, our world, is impossible without numbers.

My question: Is a world without numbers possible?

Take a simple example: the moment I exist, the number 1 also, per force, comes into existence. Or think of ''a'' universe coming into existence. Automatically the number 1, represented by ''a'' comes into existence.

Now imagine ''no'' universe exists, even that nothing exists. Again, zero, which represents nothing, comes into existence.

It appears that the answer to my question is an emphatic ''NO!''.

What do you think?

Comments (5)

Efram July 18, 2017 at 10:17 #87858
Seems you're confusing numbers and quantities. There's also a lot more nuance to both of those things.

To give you something else to think about: Until now, nowhere in the universe was anyone keeping count of how many rainbow-coloured chocolate sheep there are living on a gas giant made of unicorn farts. Does that mean a quantity (albeit 0) of extraterrestrial rainbow sheep has always existed in some form? Or does it make more sense that we just use the number 0 to describe the absence of something?
A Son of Rosenthal July 18, 2017 at 10:17 #87859
Maybe having numbers is an essential property of the universe. That is, the universe cannot exist without having numbers.
TheMadFool July 18, 2017 at 12:06 #87875
Quoting Efram
Seems you're confusing numbers and quantities. There's also a lot more nuance to both of those things.


Please clarify. To me, quantity = number.

Quoting Efram
Does that mean a quantity (albeit 0) of extraterrestrial rainbow sheep has always existed in some form? Or does it make more sense that we just use the number 0 to describe the absence of something?


I agree with you. That's what I mean, existence or nonexistene, numbers can always describe the state. This may be a trivial truth, as in it's 3rd grade math - just simple counting. However, our world, if science is true, is best described in mathematical terms. I'm just wondering...
TheMadFool July 18, 2017 at 12:06 #87876
Quoting A Son of Rosenthal
That is, the universe cannot exist without having numbers.


I agree.
Efram July 18, 2017 at 13:27 #87898
Numbers, arithmetic and such are just systems for labeling, counting or otherwise describing things. Quantities can be one of those things.

Quoting A Son of Rosenthal
the universe cannot exist without having numbers.


What about just one?