2007-07-10 23:23:55 · 4 answers · asked by The Knowledge Server 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
When you are talking about universal, you are talking about how one quality or nature relates to all things. Universal is never talking about a single object (at least not without sounding ridiculous).
Invariant, on the other hand, is ALWAYS talking about a single thing. Sometimes it seems like we are talking about many things when we talk about invariance, but that is just due to the approximation inherent in language.
For example, we might say that gravity universally causes massive objects to attract each other. We are comparing every set of objects with mass when we say that and saying that they all are attracted (and note that the attraction is variable, even though it is universal).
We might also say that gravity invariably causes massive objects to attact each other. But here we are saying something different - that there is no way to avoid this attraction from occurring. If you have two massive objects, you can't stop attraction.
In a sense we've said the same thing. But the implication is different. The first says that you can't find objects that aren't affected by gravity, and the second says you can't cause objects to not be affected by gravity. Which makes the distinction more clear, I hope.
2007-07-11 08:02:12 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Universal is something that is related to or accepted by whole world or a particular group in reference. Yet, there is a chance of change as it changes from time to time.
However, Invariant or invariable is something that has no change. It also can be universal.
2007-07-12 22:47:04 · answer #2 · answered by pkeleti72 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is hoped universals are infinite as to their endurance as unchanging identities in infinite time. Invariant is the quality of sameness for a thing as its self, its identity, in infinite time, a concept based on experience of persistent identities, e.g. gravity, concept, universals for kind-identification, .... Universals may maintain their identity as serving a part in a chemism or mechanism and may have identity existing outside its collective unified, i.e. in a chemism or mechanism. Unified collectives may be a system, process or system/process and be mechanism, chemism or both.
2007-07-11 20:22:29 · answer #3 · answered by Psyengine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Universal = horizontal in time
Invariant = vertical in time
2007-07-11 08:21:12 · answer #4 · answered by Jack P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋