Mathematics is widely known as a subject of pure logic and fact, structured and safe, the universal realm of numbers and symbols. On the other hand, God is a controversial entity, real and sovereign, awesome and incomprehensible. And certainly, the two do not harmonize at first glance. Yet Poythress argues that God is inherent within mathematics—alike in truth, attributes, character, and belief. To examine these interwoven characteristics, we will consider 1+1=2.
We see simple addition facts like 1+1=2 and know they are true. But what is it about this equation that results in unwavering confidence in its universal accuracy? The truth of 1+1=2 leads us to God. From a young age, we learn that one tree plus one tree equals two trees. We also know …show more content…
We are introduced to two viewpoints through the philosophical problem of the one and the many. The first view, realism, purports that categories of things existed before their particular elements. For example, flowers existed before daisies. “Flower” is the “original pattern [] or archetype []” [Po 30] that explains why some characteristics are shared between flowers. The second view, nominalism, focuses on the many before the one, claiming that the name is insignificant. Thus, a nominalist would say the diversity of flowers existed prior to the unity, which was then derived afterwards [Po 30]. This paradox is inherent in the Trinity. “God is the original, while the unity and diversity in the created world are derivative” [Po 31]. Therefore, our Creator is the source of all categorical associations within our universe. We see, once again, these categorical associations within mathematics through numbers. Numbers are unified, diverse, and associated with each other. We see these categorical associations between sets of numbers in groups and homomorphisms as a unification of diverse sets through different relations, also reflecting God’s …show more content…
If the material world is all that there is, science should be able to answer the most foundational questions to our existence. Science is already understood to be limited, so it fails to answer the philosophical dilemma of the one and the many. In fact, “scientific investigation starts with the assumption that the world is both unified and diverse” [Po 36]. Materialism (the philosophical branch of naturalism) also fails in this endeavor as it states that matter, energy, and motion are the only three things in existence. However, we know, as discussed above, that math exists beyond the three limitations of materialism. Mathematics exists—it is law, it is invisible, it is an idea. And it bears witness to the existence of our Creator, so without math, “materialism is hopeless” [Po
We see simple addition facts like 1+1=2 and know they are true. But what is it about this equation that results in unwavering confidence in its universal accuracy? The truth of 1+1=2 leads us to God. From a young age, we learn that one tree plus one tree equals two trees. We also know …show more content…
We are introduced to two viewpoints through the philosophical problem of the one and the many. The first view, realism, purports that categories of things existed before their particular elements. For example, flowers existed before daisies. “Flower” is the “original pattern [] or archetype []” [Po 30] that explains why some characteristics are shared between flowers. The second view, nominalism, focuses on the many before the one, claiming that the name is insignificant. Thus, a nominalist would say the diversity of flowers existed prior to the unity, which was then derived afterwards [Po 30]. This paradox is inherent in the Trinity. “God is the original, while the unity and diversity in the created world are derivative” [Po 31]. Therefore, our Creator is the source of all categorical associations within our universe. We see, once again, these categorical associations within mathematics through numbers. Numbers are unified, diverse, and associated with each other. We see these categorical associations between sets of numbers in groups and homomorphisms as a unification of diverse sets through different relations, also reflecting God’s …show more content…
If the material world is all that there is, science should be able to answer the most foundational questions to our existence. Science is already understood to be limited, so it fails to answer the philosophical dilemma of the one and the many. In fact, “scientific investigation starts with the assumption that the world is both unified and diverse” [Po 36]. Materialism (the philosophical branch of naturalism) also fails in this endeavor as it states that matter, energy, and motion are the only three things in existence. However, we know, as discussed above, that math exists beyond the three limitations of materialism. Mathematics exists—it is law, it is invisible, it is an idea. And it bears witness to the existence of our Creator, so without math, “materialism is hopeless” [Po