Question

‘The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius proposed the following thought experiment. If the universe has a boundary, we can throw a spear at this boundary. If the spear flies through, then it is not a boundary. If the spear bounces back, there must be something beyond this boundary that is itself in space, which means it is not a boundary at all. Either way, it turns out that the universe has no boundary.’ How best can the form of Lucretius’ argument for the infinity of space be described?

• A. Lucretius shows that positing finite space leads to a contradiction.
• B. Lucretius shows that finite space is inconsistent with physics.
• C. Lucretius shows that finite space is inconsistent with mathematics.
• D. Lucretius shows that finite space is inconceivable.

Hint:

In philosophical reasoning, "contradiction" usually means the idea cannot logically stand.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understand the logic \[ \text{Premise: Suppose universe has a boundary} \] \[ \text{Throw a spear at the boundary} \] \[ \text{If it goes through } \Rightarrow \text{not a boundary}
\text{If it bounces back } \Rightarrow \text{still something beyond} \] So, in both cases, the concept of a boundary leads to self-contradiction. Option Analysis:

(a) Correct. This is classic reductio ad absurdum} — assuming something (finite space) leads to contradiction.
(b) & (c) Incorrect – Lucretius doesn’t refer to physics or math directly.
(d) “Inconceivable” is subjective; the argument is logical, not psychological.

% Final Answer \[ \boxed{\text{Lucretius shows that positing finite space leads to a contradiction.}} \]