What do you see when you look at a quarter? A round, silver object with ridged edges engraved with the likeness of an old man in a wig? A symbol of pride in your statehood worth collecting? An object which amassed over time might pay for your vacation? All of these things and more might pass through your mind when considering the question posed. To my mind, another question arises: what exactly *is* an object in the first place? Posing a series of related questions which I shall then attempt to answer, I hope to explore the nature of what exactly it means to exist.
In order to have a coherent dialogue (or in this case, monologue) it is absolutely imperative that certain definitions be made clear. The concepts that are central to an understanding of the topic at hand must be rendered comprehensible for all to see. When agreeing to a precise definition of the key words in play, the first steps towards a consensus have been taken. This is what might be known as "Platonic Dialogue" a dialogue in which the unwavering and precise definition of common knowledge makes mutually agreeable solutions more likely.
With that being said, let's talk about the mathematical properties of a circle. {Why a circle, you might ask?}
Oxford American Dictionary of 1980, from which all definitions henceforth shall be drawn, defines "circle" as follows: n 1. A perfectly round plane figure 2. The line enclosing it, every point on which is the same distance from the center 3. Something shaped like this, a ring 4. Curved rows of seats rising in tiers at a theater etc., above the lowest level 5. A number of people bound together by certain interests.
Circle v. To move in a circle, to form a circle around
Allow me to delineate that the relevant definitions given the context of this conversation shall be definitions 1 and 2 of the noun variant of the prescribed word. Given this understanding, it is crucial that we consider the dictionary definition of a particular word and its' implications: perfect.
Adj. 1. Complete, having all its essential qualities. 2. Faultless, excellent. 3. Exact, precise, *a perfect circle* 4. Entire, total
V. To make perfect N. The perfect tense
Now, allow me to stipulate that the relevant definitions of the word "perfect" given the context of the current conversation, shall be defininitons number one, two, and three of the adjective variant of the prescribed word. Let us examine these definitions in the context of a quarter.
A quarter is an object most of us would consider to be round. Questioned casually in conversation, one might be likely to concede in turn that a quarter constitutes the physical manifestation of the concept of a circle. If we examine the concept more precisely given the aforementioned definitions, several questions arise. Remember the relevant definitions of "circle": n 1. A perfectly round plane figure 2. The line enclosing it, every point on which is the same distance from the center
Recall the relevant definitions of the term "perfect": 1. Complete, having all its essential qualities. 2. Faultless, excellent. 3. Exact, precise, *a perfect circle*
Now, if we examine just one simple aspect of the physical properties of a quarter, we can determine whether the words "perfect circle" can be used to accurately describe said quarter. As previously noted, a quarter has ridged edges. Given the understanding that the ridged edges of a quarter act like a wave of crests and troughs, it is immediately apparent that the quarter does not meet the standard of an object enclosed by a line in which "every point... is same distance from the center." And so it is apparent that the most basic assumptions about the geometric nature of a simple object can be objectively rendered inaccurate with relative ease.
Now, allow me to pose a thought experiment you might try.
Take a circle with a diameter of 6 feet. In order to have a more exact measurement, suppose you determinte to measure the circle in terms of inches, and find that your measurement indeed turns up an answer perfectly commensurate with your initially less precise measurement of 6 feet: (6×12=72) 72 inches. Now, imagine you are given a microscope that allows you to measure the diameter of the circle to the nearest 1000th of an inch. Given this new level of precision, you find that the circle has a diameter of 72.001 inches. Measuring the circle with a higher level of precision has rendered your initial calculation inaccurate.
Even if you found the circle to have a diameter of 72.000 inches, the key insight still stands: no matter how you choose to measure the diameter of the circle, there is a higher level of precision to be achieved which will ultimately render your initial measurement inaccurate. I.e., the same force that lies at the heart of a hypothetical perfect circle or at the heart of a "relative" circle such as.a quarter, is the same force that lies at the heart of a black hole and before the dawm of time. That force is the singularity. Every single object that exists is made in eternity's image, perpetuated by, existing within, and/or making relative, objectively imperfect observations of infinity. I have spoken.
In order to have a coherent dialogue (or in this case, monologue) it is absolutely imperative that certain definitions be made clear. The concepts that are central to an understanding of the topic at hand must be rendered comprehensible for all to see. When agreeing to a precise definition of the key words in play, the first steps towards a consensus have been taken. This is what might be known as "Platonic Dialogue" a dialogue in which the unwavering and precise definition of common knowledge makes mutually agreeable solutions more likely.
With that being said, let's talk about the mathematical properties of a circle. {Why a circle, you might ask?}
Oxford American Dictionary of 1980, from which all definitions henceforth shall be drawn, defines "circle" as follows: n 1. A perfectly round plane figure 2. The line enclosing it, every point on which is the same distance from the center 3. Something shaped like this, a ring 4. Curved rows of seats rising in tiers at a theater etc., above the lowest level 5. A number of people bound together by certain interests.
Circle v. To move in a circle, to form a circle around
Allow me to delineate that the relevant definitions given the context of this conversation shall be definitions 1 and 2 of the noun variant of the prescribed word. Given this understanding, it is crucial that we consider the dictionary definition of a particular word and its' implications: perfect.
Adj. 1. Complete, having all its essential qualities. 2. Faultless, excellent. 3. Exact, precise, *a perfect circle* 4. Entire, total
V. To make perfect N. The perfect tense
Now, allow me to stipulate that the relevant definitions of the word "perfect" given the context of the current conversation, shall be defininitons number one, two, and three of the adjective variant of the prescribed word. Let us examine these definitions in the context of a quarter.
A quarter is an object most of us would consider to be round. Questioned casually in conversation, one might be likely to concede in turn that a quarter constitutes the physical manifestation of the concept of a circle. If we examine the concept more precisely given the aforementioned definitions, several questions arise. Remember the relevant definitions of "circle": n 1. A perfectly round plane figure 2. The line enclosing it, every point on which is the same distance from the center
Recall the relevant definitions of the term "perfect": 1. Complete, having all its essential qualities. 2. Faultless, excellent. 3. Exact, precise, *a perfect circle*
Now, if we examine just one simple aspect of the physical properties of a quarter, we can determine whether the words "perfect circle" can be used to accurately describe said quarter. As previously noted, a quarter has ridged edges. Given the understanding that the ridged edges of a quarter act like a wave of crests and troughs, it is immediately apparent that the quarter does not meet the standard of an object enclosed by a line in which "every point... is same distance from the center." And so it is apparent that the most basic assumptions about the geometric nature of a simple object can be objectively rendered inaccurate with relative ease.
Now, allow me to pose a thought experiment you might try.
Take a circle with a diameter of 6 feet. In order to have a more exact measurement, suppose you determinte to measure the circle in terms of inches, and find that your measurement indeed turns up an answer perfectly commensurate with your initially less precise measurement of 6 feet: (6×12=72) 72 inches. Now, imagine you are given a microscope that allows you to measure the diameter of the circle to the nearest 1000th of an inch. Given this new level of precision, you find that the circle has a diameter of 72.001 inches. Measuring the circle with a higher level of precision has rendered your initial calculation inaccurate.
Even if you found the circle to have a diameter of 72.000 inches, the key insight still stands: no matter how you choose to measure the diameter of the circle, there is a higher level of precision to be achieved which will ultimately render your initial measurement inaccurate. I.e., the same force that lies at the heart of a hypothetical perfect circle or at the heart of a "relative" circle such as.a quarter, is the same force that lies at the heart of a black hole and before the dawm of time. That force is the singularity. Every single object that exists is made in eternity's image, perpetuated by, existing within, and/or making relative, objectively imperfect observations of infinity. I have spoken.