You can say "If this, then that", a million times over and derive the whole universe that way (according to Alex)... but what the heck does the first "If" refer too in that long chain of reasoning? Afterall, you start with "If" and then you lead to a "then", but after that, you must reuse that "then" to start as the next logical "If"... am I making any sense?

For example-
Here goes a chain: If A, then B... however if B then surely C... but C implies D, so if C then D... so once you have an A, you must have a D! and on and on and on...

But what the heck does that first "A" follow from? If it follows from yet another axiom, then what the heck does that one refer too? You either must stop and just say that its reference is a mystery... or the chain must extend backward ad infinitum. I know I've spoken about this before, but I think that makes it really clear as to what you're really saying Harv... is it? I don't know if Alex knows exactly what you mean by "referencing mystery", because he always falls back on the notions of matter interactions and symmetries, but fails to realize the deeper root of the problem. He's excellent at math and physics, but I think he brushes off philosophy as "trivial nuisance" (not to be taken the wrong way Alex)...

• You got it! (nt) - harvey1 - November 6, 2001 - 16:46 UTC