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THOMAS AQUINAS
Born late in 1224 or early in 1225, Thomas was the seventh and youngest son of Landulfo, Count of Aquino
(near Naples), and the Countess Teodora Carracciolo, who was of Norman descent. The family was heavily
involved in a squabble between the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and the Papacy, and in 1229 young
Thomas' father and his elder brothers were involved in the plunder of the papal stronghold at Monte Cassino.
In the peace settlement the following year the youngster was effectively offered as a hostage to the Abbey
there, and at five years old Thomas found himself compulsorily introduced to the delights of a mediaeval
clerical education.
Throughout Western Europe the church had effectively established an intellectual and academic monopoly
which had been in place since Augustine's time some eight centuries earlier. Thomas was released from
Monte Cassino after another attack by the Imperial Army in 1239, and continued his education at the University
of Naples. In 1244, against the wishes of his family, he joined the Dominicans and set off for Paris to study
Theology. His father, Landulfo, had died a short time previously, but his mother and older brothers felt so
strongly about his vocation that they actually seized him and held him prisoner for a year. The Dominicans
petitioned both the Pope and the Emperor, and eventually the family became convinced that nothing could
shake the young man's own determination; they relented, and Thomas Aquinas took up his place at the
Dominican convent in Paris as a pupil of Albertus Magnus.
The affairs of Christendom were in some disarray. Emperor Frederick was encommunicated twice, first for
being insufficiently zealous in pursuing a crusade (the 6th), and then again some years later for joking that not
only Moses and Christ, but also Muhammad, were imposters who had themselves been "hoodwinked".
Frederick retaliated for the second excommunication by wrecking a Genoese fleet and capturing over 100
Cardinals and Bishops on board who were in passage to a Synod at Rome. Matters were only defused by the
timely death of Pope Gregory IX and the serious distraction of an invasion of Europe by the Mongols. The
Saracens were starting to get the upper hand in the Middle East, perhaps assisted by covert connivance
between the Knights Templar and the Assassins (who was "hoodwinking" who one wonders).
Nor were Islam's assaults on the Christian position confined to the battlefield. While Rome had been doing
everything it could to suppress and obliterate the ancient philosophies of the pagan era, the works of Aristotle
in particular had gained some currency among the sages of the Arab world. Aristotelian rationalism had been
applied, specifically by Averroes, in providing an intellectual basis for Islam, and Christianity found itself being
undermined within its own academic institutions which were becoming increasingly secular, where not
downright heretical.
The fightback was spearheaded by Thomas Aquinas who translated Aristotle into Latin and set about the
restatement of Christian doctrine which was to become enshrined as the orthodox Roman position throughout
the subsequent centuries of Dominican led Inquisition, and of which the central arguments provide the
intellectual basis for much of Christian doctrine to this day. Aquinas was canonised in 1323, some 50 years
after his death, and, although Protestant denominations may reject much of the doctrine he expounded, they
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are nontheless happy to make use of some of his intellectual tricks in constructing their own versions of the
"irrefutable hypothesis" of Christianity.
It should be said that, as theological treatises go, the 'Summa Theologica' of Aquinas is well structured and
clearly set out, and, although it is probably longer than the Bible, in my perception it makes much easier
reading than, say, the rambling prose of Saint Augustine. The logical presentation, though, throws up an
inherent weakness in the argument to the extent that the whole thesis seems to rest on a few crucial feats of
intellectual gymnastics in the opening pages.
In the first place, in establishing some need for "knowledge revealed by God" over and above what may be
derived from philosophical reasoning, Aquinas argues that "it was necessary for the salvation of man that
certain truths which exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation". Since
"salvation", in the sense intended by Aquinas, is a concept which is only significantly meaningful within
Christian (or related) paradigm(s), he seems to be assuming the validity of key elements within his paradigm
before establishing that paradigm empirically, which is what he claims (in so many words) to be setting out to
do.
The next crucial element in the thesis comes in 'Article 5' where Aquinas asks "Whether Sacred Doctrine Is
Nobler Than Other Sciences?" He concludes that it is "because other sciences derive their certitude from the
natural light of human reason, which can err, while this [sacred doctrine] derives its certitude from the light of
divine knowledge, which cannot be deceived". The implication is one of reason being subordinate to some
baldly stated concept of divine infallibility.
In 'Article 8', where Aquinas appeals to "faith" in support of the above assertion, we find the following
remarkable passage:
"..... Sacred Scripture, since it has no science above itself, can dispute with one who denies its principles
only if the opponent admits some at least of the truths obtained through divine revelation. Thus we can
argue with heretics from texts in Holy Writ, and against those who deny one article of faith we can argue
from another. But if our opponent believes nothing of divine revelation, there is no longer any means of
proving the articles of faith by reasoning, but only by arguing his objections - if he has any - against faith.
Since faith rests on infallible truth, and since the contrary of a truth can never be demonstrated, it is clear
that proofs brought against faith cannot be demonstrations, but are arguments that can be answered."
By this means Aquinas seeks to provide a secure basis from which the rest of Christian doctrine can be
expounded. It is perhaps worth noting that in so doing he also provides the principal philosophical basis from
which any purportedly "infallible" revealed scripture can be presented. The argument seems to be capable of
application as much to the Christian Gospel as to the Torah, the Qu'ran, the Book of Mormon, and even to
Aleister Crowley's 'Liber Al' (the Book of the Law). The task for the proponent of whatever system of "faith" is
being proposed remains simply to establish that the system which they are putting forward is itself that
infallible ultimate truth which by definition defies contradiction.
The other protagonist in this evening's philosophical contest, Chaos Theory, takes issue with Thomas
Aquinas' position at this fundamental level.
CHAOS THEORY
The philosophical constructs of Chaos Theory are of comparatively recent provenance, albeit that a traditional
aphorism of the Assassins of Alamut and of the Illuminati of Bavaria, "Nothing is True: Everything is Permitted",
has gained new currency in the modern paradigm.
Personally I prefer the paraphrase "There can be no Ultimate Truth : Everything is Permissible", and I would
interpose the statement "We exist in a STOCHASTIC Universe" to present a succinct encapsulation of the
fundamental principles of Chaos Theory.
In my earlier expositions on the subject ('Liber Cyber') I have presented the statement "There can be no
Ultimate Truth" as a Philosophical Axiom, but in the present context, taking issue with no less an eminence
than Aquinas, a more rigorous analysis is called for.
One of the reasons I dislike the Illuminati formula "Nothing is True" is because that statement, to an Information
Technologist, has no particular profundity - it is simply the corollary of another statement "+5 volts is False".
The two statements together defining an information processing environment termed Negative Logic. For
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Positive Logic the analogous statements are "Nothing is False" and "+5 volts is True". Truth and Falsehood
are defined simply in terms of electrical voltage levels at semi-conductor outputs, or in the polarity of memory
storage elements, and whether a given information processing device uses positive or negative logic is entirely
a function of the way in which the device is wired. The logic polarity is transparent to a user of the device; it
will give the same answers provided that polarity is consistent within the device, though the correctness of
those answers is strictly independent of 'truth' and 'falsehood' as applied within the hard wired logic, and more
a function of the validity of the input data and an absence of errors in the instruction path followed in
processing that data.
Thus it can be argued at the quantum information level of binary '1's and '0's that "there can be no Ultimate
Truth", just as "there can be no Ultimate Falsehood", the crucial factors in getting the right answers in the real
world are logical consistency, valid input data, and bug-free software. There is a school of thought which holds
that in anything but the most trivially simple systems, completely bug-free software may be an unattainable
ideal, and therefore it may also be that "There can be no Ultimate Correctness" of answers under all
circumstances. On that basis, the best that can be said of any system attempting to model reality, or some
subset thereof, is "It appears to give correct answers most of the time".
For many centuries rational and irrational philosophers have turned to mathematics as a tool for modelling and
making predictions not only about the real world but also concerning the abstract realms of the imaginary or
unreal world. The reason being that mathematics appeared in many cases to give the correct answers most of
the time, and moreover, at the most trivial level there were a number of absolute truisms or 'axioms' which
could be simply stated, and then used as a basis for the logical deduction and induction, or 'proof', of more
complex statements or 'propositions'. When such propositions or 'theorems' have been proved with reference
to the accepted axioms, it is often found that the mathematical relationships established have some analogue
in the behaviour of objective reality.
Until the present century it was generally supposed by mathematicians that all conceivable propositions about
the relationships between numbers or other mathematical entities might ultimately be proved to be either True
or False, even if, in some cases, the procedure for actually accomplishing the proof or disproof might be
difficult in the extreme. For centuries there had been problems with whole number solutions for Diophantine
Equations, and the generalisation of those problems in the 'Last Theorem' of Pierre de Fermat, but it was
generally felt that someone would come up with a proof or disproof of these propositions sooner or later.
During the first decade of this century the philosopher/mathematicians Bertrand Russell and Alfred North
Whitehead embarked on a systematic exercise to codify the whole body of mathmatical knowledge, showing
that everything could be deduced from the most basic logical principles. The three volumes of their 'Principia
Mathematica' were published between 1910 and 1913, and were profoundly influential, even though the
authors were forced to admit that their own ultimate objective had not been achieved, in that propositions like
Fermat's Last Theorem still defied proof and disproof alike.
The Austrian mathematician Kurt Gdel took up this issue and generalised it, eventually in 1940 publishing his
own theorems which proved rigorously that there would always be propositions which could neither be proved
or disproved. It is unsatisfactory in this context simply to state Gdel's conclusion, and although the tortuous
logic of the full proof is usually consigned to the more abstruse options available in an honours level university
maths course, I shall nontheless now attempt a comprehensible rendition because of the importance of that
conclusion to a wider understanding of Chaos Theory.
(1)
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The notation decodes as follows:The 'Tilde' ~ denotes negation, like a NOT gate in a wiring diagram;
The 'Upper Case E' is an 'assertion of existence' quantifier;
The 'Colon' means 'such that';
'b' is a 'free variable', like 'x' or 'y' in a normal equation;
The 'Full Stop' (or 'period') indicates multiplication.
The 'Equals Sign' has its usual meaning.
The 'S' means 'the Successor of' or 'the next natural counting number up from'
'Zero' has its usual meaning.
In the notation, S0 means "the natural counting number which is the successor of 0", in ordinary notation '1'.
SS0 is "the natural counting number which is the successor of SO", commonly written as 2. Thus SSSSSSS0
represents 7. All definite numerical values are written in this way in TNT.
If something can be expressed as a "well-formed" statement in TNT, then it is a rigorously provable theorem by
definition, and, usefully, there are a number of rules to test for "well-formedness". These need not concern us
here, and they are set out in any relevant text-book.
What Gdel is seeking to do is to derive a "well-formed" TNT statement which, when deciphered, turns out not
to be a valid theorem in TNT; and to see how he does this it is necessary to introduce the property of selfreference, and a manipulation process known as 'Arithmoquining'.
To introduce self-reference, Gdel uses the concept of a 'Proof-Pair' and this involves effectively stepping out
of the TNT paradigm and then back into it again. This is done using a procedure a bit like Gematria, known as
Gdel numbering. Each typographical symbol of TNT is assigned an arbitrary three digit numerical value,
known as a 'Codon'. For example, 0 is 666, 5 is 123, the sign '-' is 111, and so forth (see Appendix). These are
strung together so, for example, the the TNT statement 0 - 0 can be represented by the numerical value
666,111,666.
Entire proofs in TNT can be written out in this way, with a special Gdel gematria codon, 611, indicating a new
line. If an entire proof is transposed in this way, then the Gdel number pertaining to the last line represents
the final outcome of the proof, usually denoted in TNT as a free variable, say, b' (referred to as "b-prime"),
while the huge number corresponding to the entire working of the proof (complete with new line symbols) is
denoted as the corresponding free variable b.
The last line of the proof is a TNT theorem, and its Gdel gematria number may be referred to as a 'TNTTheorem-Number'. Thus the proof-pair concept can be stated as follows: "There exists a Gdel Number b
such that b and the Gdel Number of its last line, b', form a TNT-PROOF-PAIR". In the TNT notation this is
written.
Eb: TNT-PROOF-PAIR { b, b' }
(2)
This may also, by definition of the Proof-Pair property, be restated as "b' is a TNT-Theorem-Number".
Now to deal with 'Arithmoquining'. This is a numerical process deriving from a verbal self-reference technique
known as 'quining' in honour of Willard van Orman Quine, the American philosopher who developed it (born
1908, and still alive, I think). An example of a quined sentence might be: {"Is the name of a Band not an Album"
is the name of a Band not an Album.} Self-reference is achieved by preceding a sentence with its own
quotation.
In Arithmoquining the same sort of effect is achieved numerically by quoting a Gdel Number for an entire
expression as a substitution for a free variable in the rendition of a TNT statement. Thus, if we have a TNT
statement: ~b=SO where b is a free variable, by Gdel's gematria it has the number 223,262,111,123,666. On
arithmoquining, the number representing the whole TNT statement is substituted for the free variable b, giving:
~223,262,111,123,666 = SO which can be rewritten in TNT notation as:
~SSSSSSS..............SSSSSS0 = S0
|
|
223,262,111,123,666 S's
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(3)
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Although a bit nonsensical, this end product is also a True statement in the strict logical sense.
Of course the TNT expression at (3) above can itself be transcribed by the now familiar gematria process into
a Gdel Number:
223,123,123,123,123, .............. 123,123,123,666,111,123,666
|
|
223,262,111,123,666 copies of 123
(4)
This humungously large number, let's call it b'', is said to be the 'Arithmoquinification' of b, and the whole
process can be stated in TNT notation as
ARITHMOQUINE { b'', b }
(5)
To achieve his objective, and to make the principle stick on meta-levels of 'theorems about theorems about
theorems about ....', (imparting, incidentally, something akin to fractal self-replication permeating an infinity of
theorem levels), Gdel seeks to arithmoquine an expression which itself makes some statement about
arithmoquining. Eventually he hit on the following formula, which we'll call "G's Fairy-God-Mother".
~Eb: Eb': ( TNT-PROOF-PAIR { b, b' } & ARITHMOQUINE { b", b'} )
(6).
This means: There do not exist numbers b and b' such that (1) b and b' form a TNT-Proof-Pair AND (2) b" is
the Arithmoquinification of b'.
This Fairy-God-Mother statement, let's call it 'f', can of course be transposed into a huge number by Gdel's
gematria:
f = 223,333,262,636,... etc ....etc ...,213
(7)
Now the whole thing is arithmoquined by substituting the huge number representing 'f' back into the Fairy-GodMother in the place of the only free variable b'' (b and b' are the subjects of the initial 'assertions of existence',
and as such are not considered 'free' in the context).
The result, in TNT notation, looks like this:
~Eb: Eb': (TNT-PROOF-PAIR {b, b'} & ARITHMOCUINE {SSSS...SSSO, b'})
|
|
f S's
(8)
This expression, which we will call 'G', is sometimes referred to by irreverent mathematicians as Gdel's GString.
There are two things to say about it. Firstly, G's own Gdel Number is the arithmoquinification of the FairyGod-Mother expression. Secondly, G has an interpretation which, in a literal translation, runs as follows:
"There do NOT exist numbers b and b' such that BOTH (1) they form a TNT-Proof-Pair AND (2) b' is the
arithmoquinification of the Fairy-God-Mother".
What can be made of this? We know that there is a number b' which is the arithmoquinification of the FairyGod-Mother, so the second half of G checks out OK, allowing us to restate G as follows: "There is no number
b that forms a TNT-Proof-Pair with the arithmoquinification of the Fairy-God-Mother".
This is the same as saying "The statement whose Gdel Number is the arithmoquinification of the Fairy-GodMother is not a theorem of TNT"; but "the statement whose Gdel Number is the arithmoquinification of the
Fairy-God-Mother" is none other than G itself, so the ultimate translation becomes:
"G is not a theorem of TNT".
So, having been constructed as a "well-formed" TNT statement, in the final analysis G says "I am not a
theorem of TNT". It is effectively a mathematical TRUTH asserting its own FALSITY. A sublime contradiction at
the meta-level of 'theorems about theorems about theorems about...'.
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CONCLUSION
I have devoted almost half of this paper to an exposition of Gdel's Proof, for the simple reason that it provides
a rigorous underpinning for the philosophical position of Chaos Theory. In so doing it raises a challenge, not
only to the philosophical and doctrinal basis of Christianity as set out by Aquinas, but also, by implication, to
every other religion or philosophy which depends for its authority on the purported infallibility of some
individual and/or of some text bearing the description of Holy Writ.
In that sense it is strange to find Aquinas in the position of presenting the case, not only for all denominations
of Christianity, but also for Islam, for Judaism, for Crowley's Thelema and perhaps also for the discredited
mechanical models of deterministic science. All of these absolutist belief systems are equally challenged by
Gdel's Proof.
In my view, the only cogent response left to the protagonists of Infallibility and Absolute Truth is the memorable
utterance of The Koresh, Dr Cyrus Teed, who taught during the early years of this century that we are all living
on the interior surface of a concave sphere. "Believe ME, not Mathematics" cried The Koresh, "When will you
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APPENDIX - Some examples of Gdel Codons as used in this paper. (After D Hofstadter)
SYMBOL CODON REMARKS AND MNEMONIC HINTS
O
S
+
.
b
666
123
111
112
236
262
'
{
}
(
)
&
|
~
E
:
163
212
213
362
323
161
616
223
333
636
611
Logical AND
Logical OR
'Tilde' Logical NOT
Existential Qualifier usually a 'Backwards E'... $
Codon for new line in a proof sequence.
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MICHELL, J
ROSA, P de
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I am indebted to Peter Carroll for use of the phrase "There can be no
Ultimate Truth", and to Hilary Hayes for her perception that "Everything is Permissible" is a
preferable usage to "Everything is Permitted" which implies that there is something to do the
permitting. Finally I am grateful to Douglas Hofstadter for his clear exposition of the proof of Gdel's
Theorem, parts of which I have abstracted from his book 'Gdel, Escher, ~
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