Hi Marsha --
You asked a simple, yet very fundamental question: > Is there any difference in Value between zero (0) and one (1)? > >Is zero "better" than one? Is one "better" than zero? >I don't know why I'm asking. It seems important. It IS important. Philosophically, it's like asking: "Is it better to have been born than not to have been born?" That's a question only you can answer for yourself. The answers you got from Jos, Ron and Maggie were correct insofar as relational math and logic are concerned. But I don't think they realized the significance of what they were saying. For example ... [Jos]: > "Zero" as an idea exists, and represents an absence of some defined > "other" term. "One" has value a that is dependent on what one it is > being used to represent, so also has value but one which will vary for > a given static value of "one". Therefore "zero" for any given value of > "other" has a value that is related to that other. "Zero" is nothing(ness), the absence of something (thing-ness). It is also the beginning of relations, which gives it value. You were born into the world of things as a nothing, and your values are derived from how you relate to those things. That, to me, is the meaning of Jos' statement that "'zero' for any given value of 'other' has a value that is related to that other." [Ron]: > Ultimately zero is an abitrary starting point, a "point of beginning". > "one", is one unit or one absolute whole number. this works in > conjunction with the concept of "the limit" which limits the precision > [by] which you measure this whole unit. Equating Zero with a "point of beginning" is illuminating. Indeed, existence comes into being from the starting point of Nothing. Eckhart taught that Being comes from Nothingness. In my philosophy, Essence negates (or denies) Nothing, thereby establishing a point or perspective of value (Maggie's PoV?). That point of view is your proprietary awareness, without which there is no beingness. [Maggie]: > [Zero] varies depending on the PoV that is observing/reading/interpreting > it. Exactly. By experiencing otherness (i.e., the Whole or One) as Value, each PoV makes being-aware in its own unique way. Everyone agrees that numbers have no value in themselves. This is true. Value comes from relations. Thus, although Oneness is the potential source of all value, Value can only be made sensible or aware through the relationship of Zero (the PoV) to One. It is this value-sensibility which gives rise to a relational universe whereby we each realize the Essential Value of our existence. Thanks for providing another opportunity to express my essentialist views. Best regards, Ham moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
