Discreteness is a property of the whole

Discreteness is a philosophical category, denoting the absence of a single whole, systemic, in materialism - extended. It was most popular in cosmological theories of the origin of the world, as well as in materialistic concepts.

Value and Projections

Discreteness is interruptible, autonomous in relation to the object. For example, a discrete value is a numerical or material designation of an individual function snatched from the system. Discrete phenomenon - a non-permanent phenomenon, which takes various forms, often with the opposite meaning. A discrete state is a fragmented phenomenon, not a holistic image, or a property of matter. In general, the discrete is an interrupted projection of the larger, object of inquiry or object of nature. Although, in principle, any object, like its properties, can be represented as something discrete simply because it is so convenient from a methodological point of view. Such a technique is often used in both philosophy and science, when the whole of the subject of research is singled out.

Continuity and discreteness

"Everything is relative in this world." Since the time of Socrates and Parmenides, this truth is no longer questioned. So in our case, the philosophical antonym of "discretion" sounds like "continuity", systemic, integrity. But what can be interrupted, and what is continuum? The concept of "discreteness" even in this case turns out to be methodologically unstable. Let us take, for example, the cosmological theory of Democritus, which introduces the concept of "atom." We habitually interpret it as the basis of being. But in Ancient Greek this word, especially in the semantic space of the philosopher, meant "indivisible". That is, the universe, according to the proposed interpretation, consists of many "indivisible", diverse in form and meaning. It turns out an interesting thing: the basis of being is continuous, whereas the universe and matter are discrete.

Ontological meaning

Of course, discreteness is not only the opposite of continuity. This is the key link, denoting dialectically opposite things. For example, in medieval and classical philosophy - space and time. Or being and time already in the 20th century. A similar pair of antipodes appeared in the newest linguistic philosophy - writing and discourse. Everything is simple enough: the letter is discrete, but momentarily and at the same time quickly morally obsolete. At the same time, discourse is mobile, it expresses the constantly changing essence of things, and therefore is continuous. The only problem is that not always with the help of writing you can designate what describes speech, thinking, consciousness.

In the footsteps of mathematics

However, Demokritov's logic has survived in our time. Now the notion of "discreteness" means only the presence of a set of objects that form primary integral structures. A straight line consists of a set of points. Space - from an infinite number of objects located in certain coordinates. The numeric range is also interrupted by separate values. In other words, discreteness is only a separate object, which can be viewed as an integral, continuous, and as a system constructed from weaker elements. Philosophical understanding of the universe, despite the past 2500 thousand years, has not changed. Except for the thesis of the relativity of everything.