Metaphysics

[Rodri]

Is the universe infinite or finite?
The word universe can be defined as the totality of all existing things. Therefore, it is probably finite but it is very big and we would never be able to measure it's size, so to us it could always seem to be infinite.
How did the universe begin?
If we see the universe as infinite, then it is without limits, both in size and timespan. So perhaps it it has always been / will always be.
What happened before the big bang?
In physics they call it a singularity. A point where time and space did not exist. But if we see the universe as infinite and encompassing all things existing, then that point is so far removed as to be non-existant.
What is beyond the universe?
If there was anything beyond the universe, by definition it would be part of the universe, even if it was just empty space, or as others have suggested, another universe.
What is the fate of the universe?
There is a theory that time is curved, and any curve allowed to continue will eventually form a circle. If we see time as a circle, then there is no begining or end to time anymore, just points on a circle. If that is true, then everything that has ever been and everything that will ever be, will happen again and has already happened before an infinite number of times. Therefore, the universe will/has always been and will/has already ended an infinite number of times.
What is a person?
It is a name that we have given to our species, the definition has shifted at times due to the prevailling attitudes at certain times in history.
What is the soul?
The part of us that we think of as "self" that is neither mind or body.
How do mind and body interact?
Chemical and electrical messages that pass back and forth.
What is thought and what are ideas?
Thought is making connections within the mind between the things that we have learned through our senses (memories). Ideas are new connections between pieces of information within our minds that create a new conclusion.
Are we more then matter?
We are also energy, but then all matter is energy.
What is reality?
A word that we have created to define what we are capable of percieving. The definition is constantly being altered throughout time as we reach new conclusions from the information that we can percieve.
Are we dreaming,sleeping or existing?
I am, therefore... seriously, the evidence we have at this time suggests that we exist.
Are Appearances deceiving?
We live in air but we do not see it, we know it exists and we see the evidence of it every day, but to all appearances, it is not there. Then again, all matter is made up mostly of empty space, with very small particles vibrating rapidly within that empty space, and yet to us it can appear to have form and substance and solidity.
What is the meaning of life?
It is similar to a sandbox game without rules or limitations and also without an operators manual.
Is there a purpose for existance?
It could be seen as simply to continue being and to reproduce and spread our genes, as this seems to be the primary function of most forms of life.
Why are we here?
I don't know, it could be random chance, or it could be pre-determined and we were always meant to be here.
Why live?
Because we don't know what alternatives there are and the possibility is that life is better to those alternatives.