Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Alan Masterman]

A recent post asked the question: is there a way to refute 1 + 1 = 2?

The question could have been answered in a single post. Incredibly, it has generated 162 replies (at my last last viewing). Given that the very first one or two replies immediately veer off into areas of irrelevancy, I didn't have the masochism to read any further. Is there NOBODY out there who has even a passing acquaintance with the Dedekind/Peano axioms or basic set theory?

[gad-fly]

A recent post asked the question: is there a way to refute 1 + 1 = 2?

The question could have been answered in a single post. Incredibly, it has generated 162 replies (at my last last viewing). Given that the very first one or two replies immediately veer off into areas of irrelevancy, I didn't have the masochism to read any further. Is there NOBODY out there who has even a passing acquaintance with the Dedekind/Peano axioms or basic set theory?

This is a serious forum, not one to waste your time and another's time on stupid and idiotic questions. I should have stopped sending this reply in the first place, but it appears you are being earnest and eager. Fools rush in? Fine.

[ernestm]

Its interesting, I recently stated the only inductions which are provable as true are ones based on proportional logic itself, and gave natural numbers as an example. Alot of people had problems with that for some reason.

[Elephant]

A recent post asked the question: is there a way to refute 1 + 1 = 2?

The question could have been answered in a single post. Incredibly, it has generated 162 replies (at my last last viewing). Given that the very first one or two replies immediately veer off into areas of irrelevancy, I didn't have the masochism to read any further. Is there NOBODY out there who has even a passing acquaintance with the Dedekind/Peano axioms or basic set theory?

There's more than one way to skin a cat. By rule of addition, one added to one equals two.

[LuckyR]

A recent post asked the question: is there a way to refute 1 + 1 = 2?

The question could have been answered in a single post. Incredibly, it has generated 162 replies (at my last last viewing). Given that the very first one or two replies immediately veer off into areas of irrelevancy, I didn't have the masochism to read any further. Is there NOBODY out there who has even a passing acquaintance with the Dedekind/Peano axioms or basic set theory?

I am not a mathematician, go ahead and enlighten me on these obvious solutions to the OP.

[Raymond]

There is a very easy way to refute it. With an example for which it doesn't hold we can disprove the universal validity of the equality.

What example? Of two people. Two people who are madly in love. What if we add them together? Two things happen.

First: 1+1=1
And then: 1+1=infinite
With possible result: 1+1=0

That are three examples where I have disproved 1+1=2.

Another involves condensates of virtual particles:
1+1=1.

That are four examples invalidating the universal validity of 1+1=2.

And the list can be extended. It can be extended beyond the reach of examples for which 1+1=2 holds, renderering 1+1=2 the exception to the rule, rather tan the rule.