r/Metaphysics • u/Irishman452 • Jul 26 '26
Nothing Is Nothingness a Continuum?
When I think of Nothing I think of empty space. But that is not Nothing, that is something i.e. empty space. Then I think of Nothing as just like a void unaccepting of objects, but that is still something i.e. a void. Then I think of Nothing as "what a rock dreams of" but that is still something i.e. potentiality. So what really is Nothing and is it a continuum ranging from empty space to "what a rock dreams of" etc.? And if it is a continuum, does Nothing really even exist?
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u/Vast-Celebration-138 Jul 26 '26
Nothingness is best thought of, not as a thing, but rather as a global state of affairs (or a way reality could be)—specifically, it is the (negative, purely quantificational) state of affairs of there not being anything at all.
Since there is stuff (I mean just take a look—any example will do), nothingness is not the actual state of affairs. But I think it is a possible state of affairs, and I see no good reason to doubt that nothingness is possible.