An argument for Eternalism

Devans99 September 15, 2018 at 21:39 3425 views 7 comments

- Something can’t come from nothing
- So base reality must have always existed
- If base reality is permanent it must be timeless (proof: assume base reality existed forever within time - the total number of particle collisions would be infinite - reductio ad absurdum)
- So base reality must be timeless (to avoid the infinities) and permanent
- Time was created and exists within this permanent, timeless, base reality
- So time must be real, permanent and finite.

Comments (7)

Joshua27 September 16, 2018 at 00:57 #212741 0 likes

Seems right, and the success of relativity might bolster the argument. But I don’t think you sufficiently defined “base reality”. Is it just a classification of everything taken together? Can base reality be experienced phenomenalogically (by us or god?) or is it just a way of explaining things?

Also, must infinities necessarily be avoided? Spinoza took the existence of infinity as one of his fundamental assumptions. My own point of view on this is that infinities do exist, but by definition cannot be grasped all at once and therefore time MUST exist.

Devans99 September 16, 2018 at 01:30 #212760 0 likes

In the domain of physics my view is actual infinities must be avoided. The actually infinite is impossible to achieve even with time - no matter how long you add one you never reach infinity because it’s not a number and it has no place in physics except as an approximation for the very large or small. Infinity also introduces logical contradictions and bizarre scenarios (anything that can happen will happen... an infinite number of times).

By base reality I mean the presence of dimensions (as opposed to nothing which would by a zero dimensional ‘reality’). We are contained in base reality but we are tied to time so I’d guess we don’t experience it like the residents of base reality do.

BrianW September 16, 2018 at 04:06 #212789 0 likes

Reply to Devans99

It seems logical ,so far. Um, what is time and how does it relate to that infinite and permanent base reality?

Devans99 September 16, 2018 at 05:19 #212793 0 likes

The idea is that base reality is permanent but not infinite. The idea is nothing is infinite in a physical system and base reality is a physical system.

Not sure exactly what time is; the reasoning above highlights some attributes of time (finate, permanent, real) but does not pin down the exact nature. I think general relativity’s treatment of time as a dimension is probably close to the truth.

Joshua27 September 16, 2018 at 12:42 #212799 0 likes

So in part 5, what creates time?
In part 6, why must time be real?
Is it real in a materialistic sense or just a subjective sense? I can understand that time is self evident, but is it a phenomenon or a noumenon?

Devans99 September 16, 2018 at 13:19 #212807 0 likes

What created time? It must of been created either by random or on purpose:

- A random process (eg quantum fluctuations) somehow create time. Seems an unsatisfactory explanation. For example, an infinite number of fluctuations is impossible and a finite number begs the question what started the fluctuations?
- Which leads to the other option, time was created on purpose by some sort of timeless being or beings. I prefer this option: creation of time seems to need intelligence and there are other signs of design in the universe that also suggests an intelligent creator(s).

Time is real in a material sense I believe:

- It was created in the material world (base reality is material I’m sure) so it must exist as a physical thing
- Base reality is timeless so all information encoded in time would be permanently represented in base reality

Valentinus November 19, 2018 at 01:48 #229113 0 likes

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