Discreteness is a philosophical category denoting the absence of a single whole, systemic, in materialism - extended. It was most popular in cosmological theories of the origin of the world, as well as in the concepts of a materialistic persuasion.
Meaning and projections
Discreteness is intermittent, autonomous in relation to the object. For example, a discrete value is a numerical or material designation of a separate function snatched from the system. A discrete phenomenon is an impermanent phenomenon that takes on various forms, often with opposite meanings. A discrete state is a fragmented phenomenon or property of matter that does not represent an integral image. In general, discrete is an interrupted projection of a larger object of research or an object of nature. Although, in principle, any object, as well as its properties, can be represented as something discrete simply because it is so convenient from a methodological point of view. A similar technique is often used both in philosophy and in science, when the subject of research is singled out from the whole.
Continuity and discreteness
"Everything is relative in this world." Since the time of Socrates and Parmenides, this truth is no longer questioned. So in our case, the philosophical antonym of "discreteness" sounds like "continuity", consistency, integrity. But what can be interruptible and what can be continuous? The concept of "discreteness" in this case also turns out to be methodologically unstable. Take, for example, the cosmological theory of Democritus, who introduces the concept of "atom". We habitually interpret it as the basis of being. But in ancient Greek, this word, all the more so in the semantic space of the philosopher, meant "indivisible." That is, the Universe, according to the proposed interpretation, consists of a set of "indivisible", diverse in its form and meaning. It turns out an interesting thing: the basis of being is continuous, while the universe and matter are discrete.
Ontological meaning
Of course, discreteness is not only the opposite of continuity. This is a key link denoting dialectically opposite things. For example, in medieval and classical philosophies - space and time. Or being and time already in the 20th century. A similar pair of antipodes appeared in the latest linguistic philosophy - writing and discourse. Everything is quite simple: the letter is discrete, but momentary and at the same time quickly becomes obsolete. At the same time, discourse is mobile, it expresses the constantly changing essence of things, and therefore is continuous. The only problem is that it is not always possible to designate with the help of writing what the speech describes,thinking, consciousness.
Following the footsteps of mathematics
However, Democritus' logic has been preserved in our time. Now the concept of “discreteness” means only the presence of a multitude of objects that form primary integral structures. A straight line is made up of many points. Space - from an infinite number of objects located at certain coordinates. The number series is also broken into separate values. In other words, discreteness is just a separate object that can be considered both as an integral, continuous, and as a system constructed from weaker elements. The philosophical understanding of the Universe, despite the past 2500 thousand years, has not changed much. Except for the thesis about the relativity of everything.
