The Last Answer by Isaac Asimov Part 1

A really cool short story

Part 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hY_MpPml1E0

A debate on the (im)possiblity of omniscience between Alvin Plantinga and Patrick Grim: http://www.sunysb.edu/philosophy/faculty/pgrim/exchange.html

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Isaac
• Asimov
• The
• Last
• Answer

[HaleyMary]

Cool story. I found the part of existing eternally, but not being able to remember coming into existence interesting. It makes me wonder what that would be like. I mean, in life people experience that sort of when they become aware of living for the first time whether that be three or four or so, but existing eternally is a whole other thing entirely. I'll have to read some of Asimov's stories. Thanks for sharing this. :)

[EpistemicDuty]

Glad you liked it. I have other stories in mind from other authors that I'm considering reading that are conceptually interesting

[breakfastisgo]

Nice exploration of the philosophy of infinity, knowledge, existence...

[killermiracle]

I love this story.

[alexandre22cami]

nice job.. tnx isaac

[EpistemicDuty]

thanks, I'll check it out

[Rayndeon]

You might enjoy this discussion here:

iidb(DOT)org/vbb/showthread(DO­T)php?t=32814

[Rayndeon]

What if approach it like this? Let us say there is some *propositionally* omniscient being O. Now, O has knowledge of *all* true propositions. Hence, O has knowledge of P, wherein P consists of all true propositions. Here's the kicker though, the proposition "O knows that P" is *not* a member of P. It's a relation *onto* P; therefore, there is no omniscient being, since it would have it know that it knows.

[nastslut22]

Hmm interesting. I shall look into this.

[EpistemicDuty]

There is an interesting debate on this topic between Alvin Plantinga (Christian Philosopher) and Patrick Grim that I will be linking in the description box.