Less then Something, but More then Nothing - Zeno, Infinitesimals and the Continuum Paradox

The hypothesis is that a line can be divided into an infinite number of parts. The question is whether extension is a property of these infinitely small parts of the line. If the infinitely small parts are extensional then they can be further divided. On the other hand, if they have no extension how...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dolenc, Sašo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:Slovenian
Published: ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/filozofski-vestnik/article/view/3565
Description
Summary:The hypothesis is that a line can be divided into an infinite number of parts. The question is whether extension is a property of these infinitely small parts of the line. If the infinitely small parts are extensional then they can be further divided. On the other hand, if they have no extension how can they compose the line? The sum of non-extensional units can not be extensional. None of the answers explains the problem which is thus further considered to be the continuum paradox. Although the infinitesimal calculus does not solve the continuum paradox, it finds a way to deal with it by introducing infinitesimals as infinitely small parts that are neither extensional nor non-extensional. Even if infinitesimals have no extension, they can compose a line. Če predpostavimo, da je črta neskončno deljiva, jo lahko razdelimo na neskončno majhne dele, za katere ni jasno ali so razsežni ali ne. Če imajo razsežnost, jih lahko še naprej delimo, torej še niso neskončno razdeljeni. Če pa nimajo razsežnosti, potem ni jasno, kako lahko iz njih sestavimo razsežno črto, saj vsota nerazsežnih enot ne more biti razsežna. Nobeden od obeh možnih odgovorov problema ne razreši, zato problem obravnavamo kot paradoks kontinuuma. Čeprav infinitezimalni račun paradoksa kontinuuma ne razreši, vpelje infinitezimale kot neskončno majhne dele, ki niso ne točke ne daljice. Iz infinitezimalov lahko sestavimo črto, čeprav sami nimajo razsežnosti.