Isn't nothing something?

Question

But if nothing is something then can nothing really exist?

Answer 1

Something from nothing is called "ex nihilo." Most philosophers believe it to be impossible in physics. Most metaphysicians and epistemologists also believe it to be impossible. "Nothing" is a nulity, therefore nothing exists where there is "nothing." "Nothing" is a something only in terms of conceptual understanding of the opposite of "something."
But to say that what exists as a concept of nulity is something that "exists" outside the mind is incorrect.
The hardest thing for me to understand, and I still graple with the great magnificience of the concept, is that outside the universe "no thing exists." Existence exists only where the universe has expanded. Before the Big Bang, "no things" existed outside of the mass that blew up--not even "nothingness," because then that WOULD MAKE IT a something.

Answer 2

I would argue that nothing is in fact nothing and that nothingness is possible... it exists... in the sense that there is nothing.

This is probably off topic, but a cool realization on my part that I think you should know.

When the question is posed, how big is the universe... people imagine an ever expanding vacuum of empty space with a few bits of matter here and there. But they imagine an empty vacuum of nothingness that is space as distinct and separate from the nothingness that exists outside of the universe. And they imagine the "outside" of the universe as being separated by some magical, if not physical, barrier.

This is not the case. There is no "outside" and no "inside" to the universe. The nothingness that exists outside is the same nothingness that exists inside. That nothingness exists between atoms and between quarks and between photons. Wherever there isnt matter or gravity or energy, there is nothingness. The only thing that exists are those things that we know exists... and they arent separated by some magical existing but empty vacuum.

The existing empty vacuum of space is no different from the "non-existing" "substance" of the eternal ether that exists outside of the universe.

This realization answered a lot of conceptual questions for me in the realm of physics.

Does nothingness exists? Yes. All around. But can we really say that non-existence exists? That is a conflict of definition... a syntactical and linguistic contradiction.

Answer 3

Materialistic nothing is 'mental' something.

Many questions were asked in the ancient Hindu texts about
the nature of Parama Atama (infinite soul, or Almighty) and
Atma (soul). In the olden days, Gurus used to put these
questions to disciples to test their knowledge.

What is the constituent material of Almighty? All created
materials are subject to decay and annihilation, Almighty
is above the influence of decay and annihilation. He
is eternal.

Then is Almighty a void? In terms of material
characteristics, Almighty is void (Soonya).

Can this lead to the logic that Almighty is not there?
No. Almighty is there. He is consciousness, the infinite
consciousness. The Atma which is a finite piece of Almighty,
according to Advaita Vedanta - the personal consciousness.
Soul was created in the likeness of Infinite Soul.

Since Atma is only a minute piece of Almighty, is it
subjected to annihilation? No. Atma is also eternal.

Answer 4

Nothing is everything.



This is more easily understandable if one considers the actual scale of the components of an atom. If one takes into account the fact that the neutrons, protons and electrons of an atom actually have huge spaces between them it becomes clear that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are made up of 99+ percent empty space.

This alone does not seem too important till you add the idea that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are more of a loose conglomeration that share a similar attraction but never really touch each other.

At first glance this does not really seem relevant, but closer analysis reveals that this adds a tremendous amount of empty space to solid objects that are already made up of atoms that are 99 percent space. When so-called solid objects are seen in this light it becomes apparent that they can in no way be the seemingly solid objects they appear to be.

We ourselves are not exceptions to this phenomenon.

These seemingly solid objects are more like ghostly images that we interpret as solid objects based on our perceptual conclusions.

From this we must conclude that Perception is some sort of a trick that helps us to take these ghostly images and turn them into a world we can associate and interact with. This clever device seems to be a creation of our intellect that enables us to interact with each other in what appears to be a three dimensional reality.

I hope that helps to answered your question.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 5

depends on how you look at it: 1+1=2 which makes 2 something. 1-1=0 which make 0 nothing but something because 1-1 gives you some kind of answer because it came out of a question

Answer 6

Yeah, I used to think about that quite a bit when I was younger and high on LSD.
Nothing is something, close your eyes and picture nothingness. If you can percieve it, no matter how right or wrong, it is something. Even if nothing to you is total darkness it is still there.
When we talk about nothing we are confusing the oppisites.
Ofcourse there is nothing because if it can be concieved than it is something.

Answer 7

You debate zero, a winless fight my friend, there is only nothing when there is an absence of something. But who is say there really is nothing there. One of the few questions where there is no end to the answer.

Answer 8

nothing is the name we give to something which we define to be nothing. The name itself indeed directs our attention to some 'no-thing' but we cannot say that nothing is something unless we have expanded the meaning of something to encompass this no-thing.

Answer 9

If you say nothing, you are trying to find some thing and
thereafter you find nothing. Paradoxical - Isn't it ? If you
don't find anything , then nothing exists

Answer 10

nothing is the same that everything. people just created these words but no one has the explanation to them. it's one of the thousands mistakes in the world.