"Something" Always Exists ("Nothing" Never Exists)

Part I:

A. No "thing" exists.
B. Statement A is true.
C. A situation exists in which statement B is true.
D. A situation exists.(1)
E. A "thing" exists.
F. Consciousness exists.
G. Statement A can never be true.

***

I claim that statement G is true.

***

Proof:

If A is true, B is true. If B is true, C is true.(2) If C is true, D is true. If D is true, E is true.(3) If E is true, A is false. Therefore, if A is true, A is false! (Contradiction!)

Clearly, A can never be true.(4)

Since A can never be true, it follows that G is true.

***

If A is never true, A is always false. A is never true. Therefore, A is always false.

If A is always false, E is always true. A is always false. Therefore, E is always true.

We conclude the following: A "thing" always exists.(5)

Part II:

Suppose a "thing" exists. Then the "thing" must persist for a duration greater than zero seconds. If a "thing" persists for a duration greater than zero seconds, a phenomenon of temporal passage must occur.(7) If a phenomenon of temporal passage occurs, consciousness must exist.(8) Therefore, if a "thing" exists, consciousness must exist.

***

If statement E is true, F is true. E is true. Therefore, F is true.

***

If statement E is always true, F is always true. E is always true. Therefore, F is always true.(9)

***

We conclude the following: Consciousness always exists.(10)

Notes:

1. The terms "situation," "scenario," and "state of affairs" are synonymous.

2. Suppose statement B is true. Then a situation exists. (The situation that exists is that statement B is true.)

3. A "situation" is a "thing."

If a "situation" exists, a "thing" exists.

4. It can never be the case that statement A is true.

5. A "thing" must always exist. (It can never be the case that "no 'thing' exists.")

6. Zero seconds is "no length of time."

7. The word "persist" implies a passage of time. (Persistence is a dynamic process.)

8. The phenomenon of temporal passage (i.e., the phenomenon of time flow) is consciousness-dependent. (I discuss the relationship between time flow and consciousness in my paper "Temporal Passage.")

9. If a "thing" exists, consciousness exists.

10. Consciousness must always exist. (It can never be the case that "consciousness does not exist.")

Clarification:

The premise "E is true" does not lead to a contradiction. (It does not lead to the conclusion that E and A are both true.)

Home Page