The German philosopher Martin Heidegger argues that the history of Western philosophy rests on a mistake. Philosophers have always approached metaphysical questions in terms of this or that particular thing or being, but not Being itself, Being as such, whatever it is that enables individual things with properties to exist int he first place.

A part of Heidegger's efforts to explore the nature of Being in this sense is a consideration of nothing. It leads to what might well be the first question of metaphysics, perhaps even the only true philosophical question: Why is there something rather than nothing?

In order to answer this question, we need to have some conception of nothing itself. noting is not any particular thing, or kind of thing, but it is not exactly an absence, either. In reflecting carefully on nothing, Heidegger argues, we experience dread, and this experience is our best clue to understanding the true nature of nothing.

This feeling of dread has a lot to do with the inevitable nothingness that awaits us in death. In seeing nothing in this way, as our limit, or boundary, we can come to see nothing not as the opposite of Being, but as that which shapes and gives definition to Being as such.

Accoring to Martin Heidegger, underlying everything is nothingness - nada, nil, nothing at all.

How does that make you feel?

If everything is something then there can be no nothingness. Show me an example of nothing and I will show an example of something.

Nothing or the absence of everything is a logical fallacy and only a pure mathematical concept. It is a concept that outside of mathematics is tied to a binary reasoning, but while anything could be described in a binary method, nothing is ever completely explained via the use of binary reasoning. Could not every decision that could be broken down to a binary choice could itself be infinitely broken into a binary decision.

I feel nothing. LOL! Just kidding. Since obviously it appears to all of us there is " something ", there is no reason to fear nothingness because there is no reason to believe that since there seems to have always been something, there always will be. As far as dreading the nothingness of death, there can be no greater foolishness. We are many somethings now and death only eliminates one of the somethings. If though, which I doubt, but if there is nothingness after death then nothing can know it is nothing....you cannot dread that which cannot be. I do not fear death because I do not fear nor believe in nothingness. And if I am wrong, hell, I won't know it!

If everything is something then there can be no nothingness. Show me an example of nothing and I will show an example of something.

Nothing or the absence of everything is a logical fallacy and only a pure mathematical concept. It is a concept that outside of mathematics is tied to a binary reasoning, but while anything could be described in a binary method, nothing is ever completely explained via the use of binary reasoning. Could not every decision that could be broken down to a binary choice could itself be infinitely broken into a binary decision.

I feel nothing. LOL! Just kidding. Since obviously it appears to all of us there is " something ", there is no reason to fear nothingness because there is no reason to believe that since there seems to have always been something, there always will be. As far as dreading the nothingness of death, there can be no greater foolishness. We are many somethings now and death only eliminates one of the somethings. If though, which I doubt, but if there is nothingness after death then nothing can know it is nothing....you cannot dread that which cannot be. I do not fear death because I do not fear nor believe in nothingness. And if I am wrong, hell, I won't know it!

If everything is something then there can be no nothingness. Show me an example of nothing and I will show an example of something.

Nothing or the absence of everything is a logical fallacy and only a pure mathematical concept. It is a concept that outside of mathematics is tied to a binary reasoning, but while anything could be described in a binary method, nothing is ever completely explained via the use of binary reasoning. Could not every decision that could be broken down to a binary choice could itself be infinitely broken into a binary decision.

I feel nothing. LOL! Just kidding. Since obviously it appears to all of us there is " something ", there is no reason to fear nothingness because there is no reason to believe that since there seems to have always been something, there always will be. As far as dreading the nothingness of death, there can be no greater foolishness. We are many somethings now and death only eliminates one of the somethings. If though, which I doubt, but if there is nothingness after death then nothing can know it is nothing....you cannot dread that which cannot be. I do not fear death because I do not fear nor believe in nothingness. And if I am wrong, well hell, I won't know it!

If everything is something then there can be no nothingness. Show me an example of nothing and I will show an example of something.

Nothing or the absence of everything is a logical fallacy and only a pure mathematical concept. It is a concept that outside of mathematics is tied to a binary reasoning, but while anything could be described in a binary method, nothing is ever completely explained via the use of binary reasoning. Could not every decision that could be broken down to a binary choice could itself be infinitely broken into a binary decision.

I feel nothing. LOL! Just kidding. Since obviously it appears to all of us there is " something ", there is no reason to fear nothingness because there is no reason to believe that since there seems to have always been something, there always will be. As far as dreading the nothingness of death, there can be no greater foolishness. We are many somethings now and death only eliminates one of the somethings. If though, which I doubt, but if there is nothingness after death then nothing can know it is nothing....you cannot dread that which cannot be. I do not fear death because I do not fear nor believe in nothingness. And if I am wrong, hell, I won't know it!

I feel nothing. LOL! Just kidding. Since obviously it appears to all of us there is " something ", there is no reason to fear nothingness because there is no reason to believe that since there seems to have always been something, there always will be. As far as dreading the nothingness of death, there can be no greater foolishness. We are many somethings now and death only eliminates one of the somethings. If though, which I doubt, but if there is nothingness after death then nothing can know it is nothing....you cannot dread that which cannot be. I do not fear death because I do not fear nor believe in nothingness. And if I am wrong, hell, I won't know it!

hiccup!

I believe there is something everywhere, and this something is one thing, energy. And, at the level of energy I am at now, I am only able to perceive separateness rather than oneness. People talk about the "empty space" in an atom, yet how do we really know it is empty? Just because we cannot detect something, does that make it empty? At the quantum level of atoms and photons, physical laws and rules break down, and sometimes an atom is a particle, and sometimes it is energy, depending on how you test it (observe it). We are composed of atoms, so are we a particle or energy? As I stated earlier, my perception tells me I am a particle and separate from everyone because of the level of energy I am at. But, I think in reality, I am probably pure energy that exists everywhere, in every thing, eternal and infinite. And if I believe this, then I do not believe in nothingness.

smiless
My art supports the existence of Nothing as a viable dimension in the system of creation. It is of a spiritual nature and not bound by science.

beautifully written and thank you for the knowledge and opportunity to see your art

"I feel haaapppyy!"

for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Multi-universal places might exist.
As we live in a universe that contains something...
It might be reasonable to postulate the existance of a universe which contains nothing and can not contain something else it would not exist...

Without balance there can be neither.

Balance says therefore that if the one exists... The other must also.

We observe that the one does exist. Therefore we 'think' the other may also.

If we exist.

Infinity and nothing are concepts the human mind makes a mess of.

Its an onion, where we are not sure if we are on the last layer or just have run out of strength to pull back any more for a time.

Does infinity, or nothing exist within nature as anything other than a concept?

Hmm, Id say not. I could be wrong, dam 3D material perspectives ruining our desires for absolutes!

So were trying to figure out again the degree of something?

Ok, How much is nothingness?

Well, its void, and empty, its non existance, so there is no argument. Another languaging issue. I really dont need to know how much nothing is nothing.. orr to what degreee. The fact that there are going to be pages of off subject, out of context posts baffles me.

The only reason People comment in length of this kind of thing actually philosiphising is absurd. Nothingness can be a state of being. Look it up. There are many definitions that you can see showing that in fact, there is some-thing. You can once again, call it what you want, but it doesnt make it reality.

We use LANGUAGE as a tool to describe. Sometimes language is 100% literal, and sometimes its not. Debating how literal, and not.. is just such a waste of time. It is what it is.

Well, im sure this subject will give alot of people an opportuinty to appear intelligent with internet quotes, lestsss goooo..

And yet you felt compelled to add your $.02.

Who is more the fool, the one who debates so called meaningless things or the one who tells everyone they are fools for debating it?

Let me stop you right there, because this is the spot where your logic falls apart. Said nothing universe (if it's existence were even possible) would in itself be something. If it exists it must be something. A universe which contains nothing will not physically exist. Everything that exists must be made up of something. Even if it is nothing, that is something. Therefor nothingness does not exist outside of concept.