I don’t think so. It’s not “a world” for the actualist, because there isn’t more than one; there’s only this actual world. — Luke
Actualists still use the language of “possible worlds”, and did so before modal realism existed; the novel thing about modal realism is taking that kind of talk literally instead of just metaphorically. — Pfhorrest
Some ancient thinkers assumed that the physical world had existed forever. But others intuited entropy, and guessed that the existing world would eventually wind down to nothing, hence they concluded that a finite world must have an infinite Cause : a creator or precursor of some kind. We now have scientific evidence that our universe has not always existed, but emerged long ago from a sudden creative event. Combine that cosmic contingency (dependence on something outside the self) with the unavoidable certainty of entropy (e.g. death), and we are forced by logic to assume some external -- outside of our knowable space-time -- cause for the existence of all physical things.What's a better candidate for an eternal thing and/or an uncaused cause, a physical universe or a god? My bet is on a god. — RogueAI
That's an interesting philosophical concept. For example, in what sense is Bitcoin actual? Perhaps it becomes actualized when a coin miner cashes-in the current value of his imaginary coins. Until then though, the bitcoin "money" exists only in the form of abstract information (data) on a worldwide distributed network of mindless & soulless computers. Therefore, until actualized, Bitcoin has only Potential value. To sell your coins you must make the buyer believe that it has actual cash value. So, in what sense is your belief in the value of your abstract coins reality based? Is Bitcoin Something or Nothing? Actual or Notional? Real or Imaginary? :chin:Actualists suppose that everything that exists is actual. — Banno
Sorry. I had just read an article about Bitcoin. Hence the discursive diversion off-topic. But what if it was actually a prologue to an on-topic post, that didn't actually exist -- until now?It's the same for paper money. It's the same for ownership of any sort.
But off topic. — Banno
"A hobbit walked into Mordor" is true in the domain of Lord of the Rings. — Banno
Why is there Something Instead of Nothing?So, in what sense can God or M'verse be said to exist? If they are not here & now, are they Nothing? A mere figment of imagination? Or the potent Cause of all actual things? . . . . Why is there something? Because there was always the Potential for something. — Gnomon
You are using the word "literally" to mark a domain of discourse. — Banno
Moreover, there are innumerable true modal statements ranging over things that are not actual. — Banno
"Pegasus flies" is true in the domain of winged horses.
Always leave the quantifier hanging. Then you make no commitment....related... — bongo fury
related...
— bongo fury
Always leave the quantifier hanging. Then you make no commitment. — Banno
That, er, needs developing. — bongo fury
And make your reply compelling.What's happening here is a confusion about quantification.
Actualists suppose that everything that exists is actual.
But there are several ways of using exists; one of which is displayed clearly by the existential quantifier. Existential quantification can range over things that are not actual - hobbits, possible aliens, and so on.
Actualists make the mistake of thinking that the way 'exists' is used in 'everything that exists is actual' must be the same as the way it is used when we parse "In a hole there lived a hobbit" as "There exists a hobbit how lives in a hole". They get confused, because they think this implies hobbits must be actual. — Banno
that everything that exists is actual. — Banno
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