the infinite divisibility of matter (into pure substance)

[TaylorDonBarrett]

hello philosophy geeks
i have something that i think is interesting and i figure i will share it!

if there is a real object with a real physical presence, then we can break it in half and have two real objects with real physical presence. and again, taking these halfs, we can break them apart and now have four real objects with real physical presence. now, lets repeat this process ad infinitum; breaking down material again and again and again, all the way down to the smallest known piece of material: quarks and photons (wave/particles). now, lets take these and break them in half. and ad infinitum.

now, this is theoretical, of course, with the idea that we have the necessary technology in order to split particles down as small as we want to go, without limit.

however, if we do not accept the religious dogmatic position that there is such a thing as a "point particle" (an indivisible thing which takes up literally zero space), then we are left with this concept of infinitely divisible, infinitely small, absolutely pure substance.

meditate on this.

 

[Davian]

...
meditate on this.

Why?

 

[TaylorDonBarrett]

Why?

Hello Davian

It was a suggestion.

I have found the subject an interesting one to meditate on, and so I figure others may as well.

But you are certainly free to disregard it.

Regards,
-Taylor

 

[durangodawood]

What if there IS a basic in-divisible particle?

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I think therefore I am a monad.

 

[quatona]

hello philosophy geeks
i have something that i think is interesting and i figure i will share it!

if there is a real object with a real physical presence, then we can break it in half and have two real objects with real physical presence. and again, taking these halfs, we can break them apart and now have four real objects with real physical presence. now, lets repeat this process ad infinitum; breaking down material again and again and again, all the way down to the smallest known piece of material: quarks and photons (wave/particles). now, lets take these and break them in half. and ad infinitum.

now, this is theoretical, of course, with the idea that we have the necessary technology in order to split particles down as small as we want to go, without limit.

however, if we do not accept the religious dogmatic position that there is such a thing as a "point particle" (an indivisible thing which takes up literally zero space), then we are left with this concept of infinitely divisible, infinitely small, absolutely pure substance.

meditate on this.

T´was all fine and dandy until you suddenly introduced the "pure substance" thing. I don´t know what that´s supposed to mean, and I don´t know how it got there and what it has to do with anything.
"Pure substance" - as opposed to what? Impure substance? Pure non-substance? Something else?

 

[ananda]

As I understand it, Planck time and space states that there comes a point where time and space is no longer divisible. Anything smaller than Planck time and space dissolves into quantum uncertainty.

 

[Moral Orel]

You can't pull two quarks apart from each other. The harder you pull them apart, the harder they pull towards each other. In the end, the amount of energy necessary to separate the two quarks is so great that it creates a new quark instantaneously so there is never a time where you can isolate a quark.

So I guess that is the indivisible particle, even though it may have smaller parts.