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 materialistic concepts.
Value and Projection
Discreteness is interruptible, autonomous with respect to the object. For example, a discrete value is a numerical or material designation of an individual function taken from the system. A discrete phenomenon is a fickle phenomenon that takes various forms, often with the opposite meaning. A discrete state is a fragmented phenomenon that is not a holistic image of a phenomenon or property of matter. In general, a discrete one is an interrupted projection of a larger object of study or 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 applied both in philosophy and in science, when the subject of research is singled out from the whole .
Continuity and Discreteness
"In this world, everything is relative." Since the time of Socrates and Parmenides, this truth is no longer in doubt. So in our case, the philosophical antonym of “discreteness” sounds like “continuity”, systematicity, integrity. But what can be interrupted and what is continual? The concept of "discreteness" in this case is methodologically unstable. Take, for example, the cosmological theory of Democritus, which introduces the concept of “atom”. We habitually interpret it as the basis of being. But in ancient Greek this word all the more in the semantic space of the philosopher meant "indivisible." That is, the Universe, according to the proposed interpretation, consists of many “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 connective denoting dialectically opposing 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 has 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 becoming 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 not always with the help of writing can be designated what describes speech, thinking, consciousness.
In the wake of math
However, the Democritic logic has been preserved in our time. Now the concept of "discreteness" means only the presence of many objects that form the primary integral structures. A line consists of many points. Space - from an infinite number of objects located in certain coordinates. The number series is also interrupted for individual values. In other words, discreteness is only a separate object, which can be viewed both as a whole, continuous, and as a system constructed from weaker elements. The philosophical understanding of the universe, despite the past 2500 thousand years, has not changed. With the exception of the thesis of the relativity of all things.