Eternal return (or eternal recurrence) is a philosophical concept of predeterminism which hypothesizes that all events in the world repeat
themselves in the same sequence through an eternal series of cycles.
One of the core tenets of Eternal Return is the seemingly metaphysical
perspective change from a linear concept of time to a cyclic universe.
Although notions of framing exist in terms of endlessly repeating cycles have
existed since antiquity, the concept was revived in the 19th century by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Having briefly presented the idea as a thought experiment in The Gay Science,
he explored it more thoroughly in his novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra, in which the
protagonist learns to overcome his horror of the thought of eternal return.
It is not known whether Nietzsche believed in the literal truth of eternal return, or, if he did not, what he intended to demonstrate by it. In any case, opinion is divided among Nietzsche scholars about its subjective religious connotations, but many agree that it is an undeveloped philosophical concept, and therefore somewhat notorious as a philosophical tool.
Nietzsche’s ideas were subsequently taken up and re-interpreted by other writers, such as Russian esotericist P. D. Ouspensky, who argued that it was possible to break the cycle of return.
So one of the things that jumped out at me from looking at some of Nietzsche’s Eternal Work is the concept of eternal return or eternal recurrence, and I know that a lot of people will argue that it’s a thought experiment and it’s not meant to be taken literally, but the idea of living the same life over
and over again is honestly terrifying to me, and I think it would be scary for a lot of other people. As an atheist, I get a lot of comfort from the idea that death is final, that there’s no other life after this.
That’s why I’m wondering if recently there’s been anyone that’s debunked or disproven eternal recurrence, or at the very least, given some substantial reasons why it’s not true.
The best proof I’ve heard so far is that we don’t really have any evidence that it is, beyond looking too deeply into cosmological models of the universe and ideas like the Big Bounce.
Have any modern philosophers tried to debunk the concept?
The idea of living the same life over and over again is honestly terrifying to me, and I think it would be scary for a lot of other people.
Well, that’s kind of the point. One of the many ways to characterize the Ubermensch is exactly to see it as the man that not only is not scared by this but who would be happy of it:
What if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness, and say to you, “This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence … Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus?
Have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: “You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.” This is the aim of his philosophy in a sense(once again, it is just one of the characterizations).The major difficulty with the eternal return – as a physical thesis – is that there’s no reason to think it’s true. If we take the physical reading of the return, then it must mean that Nietzsche is arguing that an eternal return must happen because, essentially, of determinism. (Skipping a bit over Nietzsche’s critique of causality, I guess.) Yet, if that is Nietzsche’s argument, then he hasn’t done the work to show that the universe is the kind of system which actually works that way.
It is true that you can set up deterministic systems wherein there is a perfect repetition
of the same. Think about, say, a clock with however many hands you want to give it.
Every 12 hours the clock’s hands retrace the exact same relative positions with respect
to one another – over and over.
There are more complicated examples too (as in the Poincaré recurrence theorem, though only initial states recur and not ever state), but these are just examples of specific systems which recur in specific ways. Nietzsche’s argument (on this reading) is that every state will recur in a totally precisely matching order.
So, Nietzsche has not even shown that the universe is such a system that could plausibly recur, much less one that does or must recur. In fact, if you can show that the universe includes even one system which won’t recur, then it seems like Nietzsche must be wrong, again assuming that Nietzsche is referring to the whole universe recurring.
(Famously, George Simmel claimed that such a system is almost trivial to cook up, and suggests we imagine three circles with the same circumference that are spinning on the same axis at specific, different rates (1:2:1/pi).)
Anyway, sometimes people report being freaked out by philosophical theories which describe things which are possible, but might not be true. The trouble with the Eternal Return, as a physical thesis, is that Nietzsche hasn’t even given us a reason to think it’s possible in the universe we occupy. Insofar as we can imagine it, we’re really only imagining something rather small constrained – so much so that I don’t think we’d even be right to conclude it’s logically possible (since some people argue that logical possibility consists in imagineability).All of that is to say, I’d recommend worrying about theories for which we have evidence, and this isn’t one of those. Moreover, it’s not even clear that Nietzsche thought it was true as a physical theory. So, to add to the prior advice, only worry about theories for which we have evidence and that the theorizer thinks are probably true, and this isn’t one of those.
If you’re being spooked by a concept then consulting Philosophy is rarely helpful, because we don’t have many definitive answers, and if there’s a paper saying something is true there will be one saying it’s false. This is especially confounded by the fact that you seem scared of this prospect despite the fact that you seemingly have literally no reason to believe in it, signalling this is not a reason driven process at all, and thus make it seem pointless to offer you reasons on the matter.
But anyway maybe you can say what you understand eternal recurrence is and why it has spooked you.
Nietzsche would say your terror at the eternal return shows your life is ruled by nihilism; to live a life whose infinite repetition could be affirmed and to have the force to affirm such a life is a key aspect of the overman and part of Nietzsche’s philosophical project is developing the conceptual tools to advance to such a noble state.
As for your fears, in my view the literal reading of the eternal return is both not what FN was saying and a pretty low-probability scenario so I think you can relax. But no, no one has “debunked” it. Poincare recurrence is similar to the eternal recurrence proposed by Nietzsche, demons aside. As far as I have read it seems like it is possible over extremely extremely, ludicrously long timescales, but that it has not been conclusively proven to exist/occur.
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Psalm 94:18–19 When I thought, “My foot slips,” Your steadfast love, O LORD, helped me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Have an amazing week. God bless.
Psalm 34:4–5, 8 I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all
my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Preview YouTube video Anne-Marie & Little Mix – Kiss My (Uh Oh) [Official Video] – YouTube
Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not learn on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 6:31–34 (NIV) “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
1 Peter 5:6–7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Isaiah 41:13 “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you,
‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'”
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not learn on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The “oh uh” part is very similar to the sampler song of Nicki Minaj’s Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze, (Official Lyric Video) (youtube.com) Are the two songs using the same sampler?
Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not learn on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
How to stream correctly on YouTube: -Search Kiss My (Uh-Oh) MANUALLY –
Watch the FULL video and then watch two other videos from the girls that have
surpassed 100 million views – Anne-Marie, Little Mix Songs – Search (bing.com)
Watch a video from another artist after this It’s the correct way 🙂
Solo soy él único latino que escucha esta joya de canción…
Anne-Marie & Little Mix la rompieron (◍•ᴗ•◍)
TRANSLATED: I’m just the only Latino who listens to this gem of a song…
Anne-Marie & Little Mix broke it!!!
WHY – Is the Eternal ANSWERLESS – Search Videos (bing.com)
The Infinite Universe May Be Paradoxically Finite (msn.com)
Scott Hamilton: No plans to treat brain tumor (youtube.com)
WE GROW OLD Women of Rock: 25 Influential Icons (msn.com)
