A Rational Cosmology: The Dangers of a Universal Speed Limit

Essay LII

This is Essay LII of Mr. Stolyarov's series, "A Rational Cosmology," which seeks to present objective, absolute, rationally grounded views of terms such as universe, matter, volume, space, time, motion, sound, light, forces, fields, and even the higher-order concepts of life, consciousness, and volition. See the index of all the essays in "A Rational Cosmology" here.

The logical arguments on which rational cosmology is based all tend toward a rejection of Albert Einstein's blanket assertion that no entity can travel faster than 3*10⁸ meters per second as unsubstantiated by fact and unwarrantedly claiming omniscience. There are other reasons to reject Einstein's view, however, for this view is damaging to human aspiration and to man's conviction in the efficacy of his accomplishments.

Einstein has essentially stated that, no matter what heights of ingenuity man might reach, no matter what physical qualities he might impart upon the entities he designs, he will never be able to surpass some arbitrary speed barrier, imposed, not by the natures of the entities that he has designed to move, but by a collective designation (the universe) wrongly viewed to have any properties in itself.

The harm of Einstein's error is seen less in immediate physical impacts as in the deleterious effect on the mindset of individuals, who thereby come to think that all their efforts to improve their lives will ultimately be capped by some non-entity, non-quality-based limit beyond their control.

Just as the doctrine that the entirety of existence will someday end debilitates man, because it reduces the ultimate purpose of his actions to futile nothingness, so does the idea of an insurmountable "cap" on motion inhibit him, posing before him the specter of an inevitable eventual terminus to his ability to accomplish.

In fact, though this will likely not occur for some time, it is quite conceivable, whatever the mechanics involved in this feat might be, that some vehicle might someday be devised that would travel at a faster rate than the rate at which the relationship, "light," occurs.