Eternity is endless time. In philosophy and mathematics, an infinite duration is also called sempiternity, or everlasting. Eternity is an important concept in many religions, where the immortality of God or the gods is said to endure eternally. Some, such as Aristotle, would say the same about the natural cosmos in regard to both past and future eternal duration, and like the eternal Platonic Forms, immutability was considered essential.
Philosophy
The metaphysics of eternity studies that which necessarily exists outside or independently of space and time. Another important question is whether "information" or Form is separable from mind and matter. Aristotle established a distinction between actual infinity and a potentially infinite count: a future span of time must be a potential infinity, because another element can always be added to a series that is inexhaustible. Aristotle likewise argued that the cosmos has no beginning. Euclid invoked this distinction instead of saying that there are an infinity of primes, rather that the primes outnumber those contained in any given collection thereof.
Symbolism
Eternity is often symbolized by the image of a snake swallowing its own tail, known as the Ouroboros (or Uroboros). The circle is also commonly used as a symbol for eternity, as is the mathematical symbol of infinity, .
World Religions
Eternity is mentioned in the scripture of all religions.
- The Bible States
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36
- The Quran States
Gardens of Eternity, whose doors will (ever) be open to them. Sad 38:50
- The Dhammapada States
Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
- The Bhagavad Gita States
The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time nor does it come into being again when the body is created. The soul is birthless, eternal, imperishable, and timeless and is never destroyed when the body is destroyed. 2:20
An idea of eternity is a Global Belief.
See also
- Aeon
- Eternalism (philosophy of time)
- Presentism (philosophy)
- Eternal return
- Perennial philosophy
- Temporal finitism
- Sense of time
- Timeline of the Big Bang
- Planck epoch
- Yin and yang
References
External links
- http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/eternity/ Entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Eternity.
- http://www.iep.utm.edu/g/god-time.htm Entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on the relationship between God and Time.
