And yet once again you skip the primary argument presented:Eodnhoj7 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 16, 2025 7:11 amYou claim nothingness is a contradictory term, which I also stated, and yet for existence to be distinct you need nothingness to stand apart from...existence needs contradiction.daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 5:49 amThe term is explicitly defined in the essay as illustrated in my comment above.
Once again you intentionally evade statements and arguments presented.
You claimed Wikipedia defines nothing as “complete absence of anything”. Again, can you locate that? Can you locate a “complete absence of anything”? Can anyone locate a “complete absence of anything”? I contend one cannot.
Don’t skip that previous paragraph; it’s a significant point here. I contend no one can successfully locate nothing, as in a “complete absence of anything”.
That premise ties directly into the definition of nothing (or nonexistence) provided with the ontology. Nothing or nonexistence can never be perceived or interacted with. By definition. In other words nothing cannot be located:
It isn’t a whimsical definition. It’s based on explicitly established parameters and demonstrable evidence as conveyed with the paragraph above.daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:44 pmNonexistence (n.): Non-being; no thing, nothing, nothingness; is never perceived or interacted with other than as a concept or term; it does not and cannot exist. A contradictory concept and term.
Many philosophies and philosophers do. Take Heidegger or Spinoza for example. They created their own terms, definitions and axioms. It isn’t that radical.
As stated, standard terms and definitions are ambiguous and circular, lacking practical means of substantiation…
However if you claim existence does not need this contradiction to be distinct then by default existence has to be distinct from itself to gain meaning...and this leads it to contradict itself...which again necessitates contradiction.
So which is it so that existence is distinct?
daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 5:49 amYou claimed Wikipedia defines nothing as “complete absence of anything”. Again, can you locate that? Can you locate a “complete absence of anything”? Can anyone locate a “complete absence of anything”? I contend one cannot.
Don’t skip that previous paragraph; it’s a significant point here. I contend no one can successfully locate nothing, as in a “complete absence of anything”.
That premise ties directly into the definition of nothing (or nonexistence) provided with the ontology. Nothing or nonexistence can never be perceived or interacted with. By definition. In other words nothing cannot be located:
It isn’t a whimsical definition. It’s based on explicitly established parameters and demonstrable evidence as conveyed with the paragraph above.daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:44 pmNonexistence (n.): Non-being; no thing, nothing, nothingness; is never perceived or interacted with other than as a concept or term; it does not and cannot exist. A contradictory concept and term.
I’ll leave that up there for emphasis.
As expressed:
Existence does not need to be distinct.daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 3:15 amExistence does not need to be distinct. That is a qualification you artificially place upon existence as a conscious individual.
Existence simply is.
Existence does not need. Existence is.
Existence is all; there is no beyond, no additional aspect to need. As expressed in the essay:
daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:44 pm- Existence is not needed. Existence is not needed as there is [not] nothing beyond existence to need or require it. Alternatively phrased, there isn't any thing beyond existence to need existence because every thing is part of existence. Existence is not needed, existence just is.
And meaning (or purpose) really only has significance to conscious beings as implied in the essay:
daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:44 pmExistence just is. We, as conscious individuals, create purpose. Much like we create good and bad, right and left, up and down.
so of course that would concern parts and distinctions. It concerns conscious beings and their interactions with those things.daniel j lavender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 5:44 pmExistence is not dependent on perception or definitions however perception and definitions are significant tools for conscious beings to substantiate and understand existence. The definitions concern us, our knowledge and substantiation, not the dependence of existence on them.
Things need other things. A plant needs water. A human needs air. Existence does not need. Existence is.