The size of the universe

Philosophy Forums Philosophy
1

Philosophy can tell us how big the universe is.

A line is as long as the number of events on it. All journeys are the same length if they have the same number of events.

We make constructions or events in the act of looking, because we draw geometries and events on what we see. So the more we look, the more we think something has got bigger. But things haven’t got bigger. They haven’t.

So the universe started when it was no size at all. Now, it is the same size as when it started, but because there are more events we say that it has “got bigger”. It hasn’t got bigger. Measuring the size of the universe is a task of science. In this case, science serves our preoccupation not with size, but with the number of events.

One day, in the far-off future, when the universe has ballooned out and all material events have vanished, the universe will be the same “size” as it was when it started because the number of events in it will be the same. That’s the truth. Thank God we have philosophy to help us think things like that out.

2

But what if nothing is there until we look.

3

Good point. See edited post.

4

What is an event?
How do you count events?

5

Really? How big does philosophy say the universe is? And to think I believe myself to be fairly well-read.

Okaaaaay…

Doubtless your point here is that size doesn’t matter.

So, I was right!

No, JJ. Thank God we have you.

Now, back away from the keyboard and no one gets hurt.

6

I think “Universe” isnt the word you need for this.
More like “sphere of human observation”
But even then, this is a pretty iffy theory.
The universe is the size of the universe, events or not. Whether that size fluctuates or not, we are still trying to figure out.
But we are certain it is very big and we havent seen most of it.

7

Increments of measure are not “events”. Events take place within those measures.

This looks like another attempt to form a distinction between “explanation” and “description”. We can describe a line using points, but those points do not explain the line.

8

see new post

9

Yes, but will it tell us this in kilometers or miles?

10

Yes, it’ll depend on the number of divisions we mark out on our yardstick. These can be counted as we go.

11

What if our yardstick is calibrated in centimeters?

12

How can events occur in something that has “no size”?

13

How long is that? Won’t you have to appeal to a sequenced number of divisions to tell me? Divisions we make up as we go?

14

This is an easy one. Events don’t have size. Distances are marked out by the number of events.

15

How can there be “distances marked out” when there is “no size”?

16

I don’t know. I’ve never used your yardstick. With mine the sequence aligns itself pretty much with how Schopenhauer measured the will.

17

Indeed, this is pretty much how Wrestlemania works. ; o )

18

Your discussion was an interesting one guys.