Originally posted by Ziff

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It seems there is. Technically, sentience doesn't preclude existence. However, as humans, being physical beings with existence in a traditional sense we therfore assume that non-existence means that there is no sentience.

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Originally posted by Ziff

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Form =! thought

The conceptualization of intellect by philosophers like Avicenna and other Muslim thinkers make it quite clear. In addition, there is the concept of God Formless, something that is touched on by John Scotus AND St. Thomas Aquinas. The 5 proofs of Aquinas are based on the necessity of God (let's not argue their shakey logic right now). But as God is pure, there is no necessitation of anything for God Himself. Scotus argued that there are four concepts of existence. That which is not created and creates, that which is created and creates, that which is created but does not create and that which is not created and does not created. The first and last of these are supposed to be God (Alpha and Omega). But in both circumstances the requirement of form goes unanswered. Thus, the concept of God Formless, combined with the idea of agent intellect and the 9 spheres can have an interesting effect of having sentience without form. Of course, this is based off of religious arguments.

Other such examples can exist. If there is form without sentience then there could also be sentience without form. Non-existence as we know it, does not exist. Everything we know of has a physical existence. Even when it ceases to exist in the sense of life it still exists in form and physicality. However, this is our lens of life. Total non-existence is simply an impossibility.

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