Assume for a moment that time is infinite, and that the basic constituents of the universe aren’t. The reality of constant change would mean that every organization and constellation of matter in the universe would be formed, broken apart, and reformed, infinitely many more times—exactly as it had been before.
Our earth, stretched thin, perhaps crashes into a star, or the sun, blows apart, disperses, collapses back by a contracting multiverse only to explode outwardly once again shooting the grand stuff that’ll one day assemble into life once again. In the space of consciousness, all of eternity could pass within a single instant, just like a night passes. You won’t know it, but you’ll be sitting here reading this today, in the future, …for the umpteenth time.
I’m not interested in talking about Nietzsche, just the idea of an eternal recurrence—the assumptions, perhaps. More as a cosmology/metaphysics/religion than as a guide to life. As a guide to live, I’m not sure if there’s ever been a better one, or if there’s any flaws with it at all.
As a metaphysics/religion, the premises and assumptions are in principle empirical ones, I would think. It is in principle falsifiable. So that may be a benefit over other brands of metaphysic/religion. The assumptions, further, don’t even seem that wildly implausible. Granted, at one time or another they were both in favor, and out of favor, of the scientific community. I think there’s probably some legitimate room for disagreement, and probably little reason to fully endorse any of them. The point: they don’t seem absurd to me.
In addition to other benefits this general metaphysic/religion may have, one that cannot be overlooked is that it is absolutely critical to ultimately explaining the events that transpired in the Battlestar Galactica television series. It has to be the view that grounded the show. But, perhaps that’s a minor consideration to most people, and frankly myself as well.
Thoughts?
