The notion of non existence is tricky and contradictory

Question

On one hand, why is there something rather than nothing? The answer is that nothingness and non existence have never been a possibility to begin with. The state of non existence doesn't exist.

But if so, then each and every one of us should land on a great fun job that pays a lot of money, since they must exist in a world where there's no nothingness, right? Wrong. These things actually don't exist. Non existence IS a possibility for some stuff, but isn't for others.

Non-existence is the absence of all states. Parmenides: "There is being, there is no nonexistence. If nonexistence existed, it would no longer be nonexistence." If nonexistence existed, then there would be no "state of nonexistence", since a state is something that already presupposes being.

Apollos · Accepted Answer

The notion of non-existence is indeed a complex and paradoxical concept in philosophy. It raises profound questions about the nature of existence and the boundaries of reality. Your statement highlights some of these intriguing aspects.

On one hand, you question why there is something rather than nothing, suggesting that the existence of the universe itself seems to defy the notion of non-existence. This perspective aligns with the idea that nothingness and non-existence have never been genuine possibilities. If non-existence doesn't exist, then it cannot be a viable state or option.

However, you also bring up an interesting counterargument. If non-existence is inconceivable, then it follows that everything that can possibly exist should exist in a world devoid of nothingness. But as you rightly point out, this is not the case. Certain things, such as a great fun job that pays a lot of money, may not exist in our reality despite the absence of non-existence.

This apparent contradiction can be reconciled by recognizing that non-existence is not an all-encompassing absence of existence. Instead, it implies the absence of specific states or entities. Non-existence can be viewed as the absence of being, where something has not actualized or come into existence.

Drawing from Parmenides' perspective - "There is being, there is no non-existence" - we can understand that non-existence can exist conceptually, but it cannot truly manifest as a state itself. It is a negation of being rather than an independent condition. If non-existence were to exist as a state, it would contradict its own nature by becoming a form of existence.

Therefore, the coexistence of existence and non-existence points to the intricate nature of reality. It suggests that while some things exist, others do not, and the absence of non-existence does not guarantee the presence of all possibilities. The understanding of non-existence is closely intertwined with the concept of being and the limitations it imposes.

In conclusion, the notion of non-existence's complexity lies in its paradoxical nature. It challenges our understanding of existence, raises philosophical questions about the state of nothingness, and highlights the limitations inherent in the concept of being.

Deactivated · Answer

Imagine being this naive & delusional. Get the mental help you need kid.

Connor · Answer

I feel like you're thinking too hard on this one...

Even when there is nothing there is still something, there are atoms that are in the air that we don't see and can't see unless under a very powerful microscope, and even then it's still limited.

Although we may perceive something as truly nothing, the reality is there is always something there, and I understand for some of you that might make you paranoid, no I'm not saying there's a monster in your closet or underneath your bed or in the void of Darkness that's in the corner of your room, I'm saying that there's always something there, there never is truly nothing, there's always molecules there's always atoms and there's always microbial life.

The notion of non-existence to me falls under the same level of being asinine as a Christian with an annihilationist theory.

They think as soon as we die we just cease to exist. It literally just kills the entire point of not sitting, it's literally going against the entirety of the meaning behind the Bible if all we get is just deletion and not actually Hell. It kind of takes the "suffering" out of "Eternal suffering".

Mishka · Answer

This sounds like you're switching the interpretation of 0 as a variable to a string and vice versa depending on convenience

MaT · Answer

Why is it not possible that there was nothing rather than something?

Dário · Answer

Non existence, as I intuitively conceive it, doesn't require a notion. It wouldn't be/have a state nor <exist>. But it's useful to define it more clearly. You mean smt like an absolute non existence (from "why is there anything"), or the lack of smt specific?

The notion of non existence is tricky and contradictory

Philosophy Community

Imagine being this naive & delusional. Get the mental help you need kid.

This sounds like you're switching the interpretation of 0 as a variable to a string and vice versa depending on convenience

Why is it not possible that there was nothing rather than something?

Non existence, as I intuitively conceive it, doesn't require a notion. It wouldn't be/have a state nor <exist>. But it's useful to define it more clearly. You mean smt like an absolute non existence (from "why is there anything"), or the lack of smt specific?

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