in the english language we have the word "be" to describe the existance or state or something. do we have a true opposite to this word? i dont think we do. why do you think this is the case?

well, there's to not be, its more of a phrase though then a single word. But it is opposite of be. It would be lacking existance. Or did you mean a single word that encompasses that?

-GreaterEvil

Good fucking post. The negation of "be" or "to exist" probably couldn't have a lingusitc negation (aside from not to be, which counts logically but not in the same way that "dark" negates "light"). Even your typical negation is linguistically or logically a "something", and hence a category which can be named, and hence given a word to apply to it. But an ultimate negation of "be" as in a word to describe non-existence, would be the equivelent to finding a word that legitimately describes any other realm of the unknown (God for example is a similar concept to non-existence, we cant grasp it intellectually). It makes sense that there is no proper negation other than the obvious. Then again I could totally be full of shit here, i've never thought about this before really.

Hey is there a verbal negation of "God".

dagnabitt beat me to it.
Something must exist (either physically, metaphorically, theoretically, or otherwise) in order for its existence to be refuted or denied.

Maybe the negation of "be" is silence.

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Originally posted by dagnabitt:
Hey is there a verbal negation of "God".

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Man?

[This message has been edited by TigerJK (edited 11-25-2002).]

This forum belongs in Bitch n Moan!

I disagree. The dissolution of this entire forum into the Bitch and Moan forum would destroy its entity as a forum for religious and philosophical discussion.
And a sub-forum existence would not be convenient.

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Originally posted by nz man:
This forum belongs in Bitch n Moan!

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Why? Your the only one bitching and moaning.

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Originally posted by TigerJK:
Man?

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Like I said before, the pure metaphysic of God (unknowable graspable etc...) is similar to non-existence
insofar as it cant be comprehended by humans. It just seems that there may be other concepts that have the same quality as "be" when it comes to finding an opposite.

And dont even think about saying "satan", that would be missing the point entirely.

isn't nothing or death pretty close to the opposite of to be?

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Originally posted by govinda:
isn't nothing or death pretty close to the opposite of to be?

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Not Death, but Nothing might qualify. However, if "be" = thing (that exists), then No-thing = Not to be. So its a logical negation but not an opposite in the sense of "dark" and "light" (as indpendent concepts, although "dark" in fact is merely the privation of "light", we can concieve of both dark and light). "Nothing" cant be grasped by humans (we always think of something). I dont know though maybe you're right, maybe "nothingness" is a suitable opposite to "being". Hence the title of Heideggar's famous "Being and Nothingness". Damn I wish I had read that now.



[This message has been edited by dagnabitt (edited 11-25-2002).]

but nothignness is still the sate or being of lacking something. i honestly dont think there is an english word that is the oposite of be. the most interesting part about it is speculating as to why. i think its because people are afraid to accept their ultimate fate in death when they cease to exist or a be so they dont even acknowledge it is possible in the western world.

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Originally posted by syphon detonator:
but nothignness is still the sate or being of lacking something. i honestly dont think there is an english word that is the oposite of be. the most interesting part about it is speculating as to why. i think its because people are afraid to accept their ultimate fate in death when they cease to exist or a be so they dont even acknowledge it is possible in the western world.

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Actually, I think "nothingness" is a good contender the more I think about it. Insofar as the word can imply what it alludes to, which I dont know if it can. Your right though "State of no thing" alludes more to being than "being" alludes to "not being", if that makes any sense. I dont know I'm on the fence with this one.


--retreats to cave to meditate---