A Rational Cosmology: Space-as-Relationship

The term "space-as-relationship" is synonymous with "distance" and "separation." In order to have any meaning, it cannot be a metaphysical primary. Rather, it must involve two or more distinct entities, or a single entity capable of motion and having its current position compared with respect to some earlier or later position.

It is self-evident (ubiquitously observable by all human sensory faculties) that not all distinct entities touch each other. There exist abundant examples of particular entities whose boundaries are not adjacent to the boundaries of other entities. No specific experiments are necessary to verify this claim, as evidence for it exists in the everyday experience of each human being.

As an illustration, the boundary of the entity "Pluto" does not contact the boundary of the entity "Big Ben." The entity "Taj-Mahal" also does not contact the boundary of the entity "Big Ben." Yet it is also self-evident that the entity "Taj-Mahal" would not need to alter its location to as substantial a degree as the entity "Pluto" would in order for its boundary to be immediately adjacent to that of the entity "Big Ben."

Thus, the degree to which the boundary of one entity can be separated from that of another can differ in magnitude. This variable separation is the reason for man's need to use the term "space-as-relationship."

Moreover, let us presume that the entity "dog" is running in such a manner as to alter its position over time. At time X, it will be farther from its starting location than it was at time (X-1). The dog at its starting time is separated from the dog at time (X-1), and even farther separated from the dog at time X. The magnitudes of these two separations also differ. Thus, it has been demonstrated that the use of space-as-relationship is also necessary when relating an entity to that same entity at a different time, provided, of course, that this entity is capable of altering its position in any manner.

If a single homogeneous entity, like a singularity, were all that existed, however, "space-as-relationship" would be useless, as this entity would not be capable of any motion whatsoever (this was explained in our earlier discussion of homogeneous entities' inabilities to alter their qualities).

The fact that "space-as-relationship" has its self-evident and demonstrable applications to describing the universe, and that it could never have come to describe a universe with only one homogeneous singularity, further verifies the impossibility of the universe being created by such a singularity.

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