Is it not fair to say that the concept of infinity is an illogical impossibility?

[MorningStar]

I cannot conceive of anything that has no end. Everything must have a defined conclusion, since everything is comprised of physical matter. Try to imagine a ladder that is infinite. You could theoretically climb it for the remainder of your life, and you would never reach the top, because it has no top. The only infinite thing that exists, as far as I know and can observe, is Pi. Any calculator will only display a small part of Pi, as the number goes on for endlessly without repeating. However, Pi is an abstract number, and while instrumental in measuring circles, is just that, a number. I think that Pi says more about our understanding of the universe than the universe itself. Anyways, what are your thoughts on Infinity? If you think it is a reasonable idea or just a fantasy, please state why and your reasons thereof.

[DonH]

It is difficult from the perspective of a finite physical body/being to imagine anything that is not finite.

This difficulty does not preclude the possibility of the infinite any way though.

Your problem seems to be that you start with the idea that everything is comprised of physical matter.

Why would you limit your self so drastically?

Love and blessings Don

[IrvS]

No, it is not fair, nor are you truly incapable of comprehending
the idea, at least of an infinite series.
Take whole numbers eg..
No matter how far you go, you can always add one.
It is far harder to comprehend that Pi will never resolve, no matter
how far you take it, but that is an artifact of 'number'.
I find it kinda comforting to know that there's something that will never
'come out even' even though intuition whispers that it should..

[HappyHiram]

Use of infinity introduces paradoxes into any system. It is inelegant, not impossible. or to put it in a paradoxical way, it is not an INFINITELY REMOTE POSSIBILITY, just an unhappy one.

Devil of an avatar name you've got there.

[Angelgirl]

WOW! spoken like a true romantic

[Jim]

No, I don't agree. Everything does not have to have a defined conclusion. And thank God not! Who wants all the answers? What makes life interesting is the unknown aspect. Infinity allows us to do things that your totally defined world would not allow, would preclude or inhibit.

Infinity allows us to dream of new possibilities. It allows us to create something which did not before exist. It allows us to push ourselves beyond limits we think are beyond our abilities, our ken or are out of our reach. Infinity provides for a never ending wealth of possibilities.

You are not correct in thinking everything is comprised of physical matter. You cannot define LIFE as physical matter - there is always that untouchable, unfathomable, "Thing" we know is a FORCE that is not matter...it is from that FORCE that all things are derived, and it is also from that FORCE that infinity is not only possible, but impossible not to have.

There are certain things which the human mind was not built to understand, comprehend or fathom. One of them is infinity, and another one of these is "nothing." One is the polar opposite of the other. Nothing (the "no-thing") does exist, but is incomprehensible to the human mind - simply because in order for the human mind to comprehend something it must be a "THING" or "OBJECT" or "SYMBOL" or "FORM." The human mind is capable of conceiving of things it cannot comprehend, but unable to elucidate it, resolve it within the capacities we are limited to. But look at it this way - it is a wonderful gift not to know everything - life would be boring if we knew all the answers to everything.

In fact, not knowing allows us to proceed forward because we have the space to do so. Think of Star Trek, the Next Generation. Remember "Q," that pesky highly advanced being that drove Picard crazy? "Q" came from what he called "The Q." A group of highly advanced souls that had advanced so far, there was nothing left to learn - they knew ALL the answers and had infinite powers, god-like. Yet, they were plagued by one huge problem - they couldn't come up with anything NEW or DIFFERENT and so they were bored to death with existence. In one episode, Q explained all this - "Q" violated the law of "The Q" by interacting with lesser beings like Picard - because he was bored and didn't know what else to do with his life.

So be happy there is infinity and nothing, and never allow yourself to resolve Pi - these are your greatest hope for never becoming bored with life

[yaoishonenai]

Jack is correct. Only math is infinite. The universe is not: we have roughly mapped it, roughly know its volume, and we know it isn't round. It is therefore not infinite.

But time is numerical and cannot be understood except in terms of numbers. Time is therefore infinite, never having had a beginning, and never capable of having an ending.
"Existence is a self-sufficient primary. It is not a product of a supernatural dimension, or of anything else. There is nothing antecedent to existence, nothing apart from it—and no alternative to it. Existence exists—and only existence exists. Its existence and its nature are irreducible and unalterable."

Leonard Peikoff “The Analytic-Synthetic Dichotomy,”
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, 148

[andy_mostwanted]

I will not defend infinity, which takes more time than I have, but I will only point you are quite supporting it.

No physical object owes its existence to itself. Before the object came to the state in which it is found, there was another sate that made it possible. For example, before we get an apple, we must have a tree, and before the tree we must have a seed, we could also include soil I guess -this is a quite simple example. But if no physical thing has existed by itself, but needs another physical thing before to make it possible for it to exist, there would be an infinite number of things before we could get to an specific thing. Take the apple, there would be an infinite number of states that matter would have needed to achieve to make it possible for the apple to exist, the same for the tree or tha seed. But an infinite number of events seems no logical. If the number of events is infinite, we would never get to the apple.

I think that infinity is not conceivable in a solely physical universe. There is the need of a metaphysical realm, of a non physical origin, which does not owe its existance to another thing. There is the need of a principle no subject to change (at least one), otherwise, the universe is inconceivable to me. But this is just another thing, which may be discused in the future.

[whisperer93]

well... if you think about it, through defining infinity, we do, in a way, say it has an end. Only that which has no definition can go on forever. So, honestly, I don't know what I think of infinity. It annoys me. It's kind of like saying something exists, without saying why... and then I won't believe that it exists. But I do believe infinity exists... I'm not sure why, but I do. It kind of gives a meaning to things like lines. Which makes lines easier to understand, but how can you understand something when the basis of the definition of it, isn't proven? yea... I'm not sure. It's really confusing. Good luck!

[hmmm]

Infinity IS CHAOTIC INFINITY