INFINITY QUESTIONS IN PHILOSOPHY

Аннотация

           The theme of the infinity of the world is very old. It runs through the centuries-old philosophical tradition like a red thread. Since the existence of philosophy, people's attempts to "know the infinite" have not stopped. This theme can rightfully be called eternal. And yet, the theme is not exhausted by the presence of different worldviews, from which one could draw one or another vision of infinity. It cannot be said that in solving this "eternal" problem, philosophy stands still, without moving forward. Of course, it has sources that go deep into human nature, which constantly push him to ask the same ageless and always relevant questions. But at the same time, there is a huge material of tradition, many new directions in knowledge, from which the ancient problem is illuminated in one quality or another, there is, in the end, the modern world of culture. All this forms the modern state of the problem of infinity and the current interest in it.            In philosophy, the concept of infinity occupies a special place, it has many interpretations and meanings. Infinity is considered not only from a mathematical and natural scientific point of view, but also as a philosophical problem affecting the issues of time, space, being and consciousness. In the philosophy of antiquity, infinity was considered as something opposite to the concept of finitude. The idea of ​​​​infinity is found in the works of ancient philosophers such as Parmenides, Zeno, Democritus. These thinkers put forward hypotheses about the infinity of worlds, time, space and atoms. Thales of Miletus believed that the basic principle of everything is water, and that it is infinitely divided and transformed. These ideas were subsequently developed by Anaximenes and Heraclitus, who also saw infinity in the basic elements of the world. However, the theme of infinity was most fully developed by Parmenides, who claimed that being is infinite and indivisible. He wrote that infinity is the only, motionless and indivisible reality, and that the world we perceive is only an illusion. Another philosopher who touched upon the topic of infinity was Plato. He taught that the world of ideal forms is infinite, while the world of material things is limited and changeable. For him, infinity was a symbol of perfection and eternity. Infinity was also discussed by Aristotle, who distinguished between potential and actual infinity. He believed that infinity is an important part of the universe and movement. Medieval philosophy also dealt with the problem of infinity, transferring questions about an infinite god and an infinite universe into the framework of religious and philosophical doctrines. Philosophers such as Augustine Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, discussed questions about the absolute infinity of divine being. Thomas Aquinas considered infinity as one of the properties of the divine and explained that the eternal and infinite deity underlies all that exists. He also considered the problem of infinity in the context of human knowledge and abstract concepts. Another important aspect of the philosophical discussion of infinity in the Middle Ages was the debate about the nature of time and space. Some philosophers, such as Augustine of Aurelius, argued that infinity belongs only to God, and that all creation is limited and finite. Scholastic philosophers also paid attention to the mathematical and logical problems of infinity, studying infinitely large and small quantities. The doctrine of infinity was also reflected in the works of Arab and Jewish philosophers, who had a significant influence on European thought of that time. In modern times, the idea of ​​infinity becomes one of the key problems of philosophy. One of the key factors that influenced the understanding of infinity in modern times was the development of mathematics. The works of Galileo Galilei, René Descartes, Isaac Newton and Georg Cantor on infinity in mathematics were of great importance. They made an important contribution to the understanding of infinitely small and infinitely large quantities, as well as to the development of ideas about infinity in geometry and algebra. Infinity in philosophy is also often associated with ethical and cultural aspects. It can be seen as a symbol of the endless striving for perfection, endless love and spiritual development. Thus, the concept of infinity in philosophy reflects the complexity and versatility of this problem, covering such aspects as ontology, epistemology, mathematics, ethics, culture and religion. It continues to be an object of philosophical reasoning and research, remaining one of the most important and mysterious concepts of human thinking.