Ask HN: What are some absolute truths that exist independently?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30121186

by acqbu • 4 years ago

3 12 4 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Are there some facts, if any, that are true regardless of whether matter, consciousness or living organisms exist?

bell-cot• 4 years ago

What sorts of facts might you mean? "2 + 2 = 4"? "This universe is all that physically exists"? Conservation of energy? Moral or theological assertions?

acqbu6• 4 years ago

I guess I am mostly referring to mathematical facts. Not sure about the rest. For example 2 + 2 would always equal 4, regardless of whether the world/all matter ceases to exist.

mshumi• 4 years ago

To encode NOT something takes one more bit than encoding something.

acqbu6• 4 years ago

Thanks

dave4420• 4 years ago

If no consciousness existed, who or what would judge whether a statement was a fact?

acqbu6• 4 years ago

I suppose that doesn't matter. 2 + 2 = 4 whether there are any observers/consciousness or not - right?

thanatos519• 4 years ago

It's impossible for things to exist in the manner in which your question implies that they might.

acqbu6• 4 years ago

Why?

Procedural• 4 years ago

Yes.

acqbu6• 4 years ago

I think I know what you mean

psyc• 4 years ago

To the best of my ability to reason about this, logic does. Whether it's dependent on my ability to reason about it, is beyond my ability to reason about.

acqbu6• 4 years ago

Fully agree. Thanks

Ask HN: What are some absolute truths that exist independently?

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