Gödel, the Unreality of Time and Mathematical Platonism

Abstract

The aim of this work is to evaluate a link in Gödel’s philosophical perspective between his mathematical Platonism and the unreality of time. To demonstrate this, the Gödel’s rotating universe will be considered. Importantly, the latter one is a mathematical solution of Einstein’s field equations of gravitation. In fact, the non-existence of absolute time that is valid throughout the universe is backed by Gödel’s rotating universe. Markedly, a key temporal dimension is offered by Gödel in this demonstration. Indeed, in the rotating universe, time is both linear and circular. Being all these aspects considered in my work, they will be read in the light of Gödel’s mathematical Platonism. According to this latter one, mathematical objects exist in an abstract dimension and mathematicians discover mathematical truths. Therefore, I argue that an abstract dimension exists where we find Gödel’s rotating universe. In other words, even though physics tells us that our universe does not rotate, rotating universe could be admitted according to mathematics. Thus, being Gödel a mathematical Platonist, he might have thought to have found an existent abstract universe. Finally, I think that the unreality of time is confirmed both by physics and mathematics for Gödel. This occurs because there is another temporal dimension, as the rotating universe tells us, where time “proceed” differently.