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The Concept of Nothing

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Is there such a thing as the concept 'nothing'? If so, what are its referents? It seems to me like a sort of metaphor, a short hand for other things. e.g. 'There's nothing in the cookie jar' is shorthand for 'I do not see anything from the intuitively relevant set of items in the cookie jar. There is air and microorganisms and crumbs, but these are not worth mentioning'. Is this always the case?

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Is there such a thing as the concept 'nothing'? If so, what are its referents? It seems to me like a sort of metaphor, a short hand for other things. e.g. 'There's nothing in the cookie jar' is shorthand for 'I do not see anything from the intuitively relevant set of items in the cookie jar. There is air and microorganisms and crumbs, but these are not worth mentioning'. Is this always the case?

Well, yes, but the relevant set of items CAN be "everything withing our context of knowledge".

But that's as far as we can go: when we say there is "nothing" there, we refer strictly to things we know exist, that aren't there. Like all our concepts, "nothing" can only be defined within the context of our knowledge. It can't be (rationally) used to mean non-existence.

Here's more on that: http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/zero,_reification_of.html

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Is there such a thing as the concept 'nothing'? If so, what are its referents? It seems to me like a sort of metaphor, a short hand for other things. e.g. 'There's nothing in the cookie jar' is shorthand for 'I do not see anything from the intuitively relevant set of items in the cookie jar. There is air and microorganisms and crumbs, but these are not worth mentioning'. Is this always the case?

Basically, yes.  This question has been addressed throughout the Obectivist literature.  I'd suggest reading Galt's speech, or Atlas Shrugged if you haven't, or ITOE, or OPAR.

Edited by A is A
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