This historical study of the infinite covers all its aspects from themathematical to the mystical. Anyone who has ever pondered the limitlessness ofspace and ti... » 

This historical study of the infinite covers all its aspects from themathematical to the mystical. Anyone who has ever pondered the limitlessness ofspace and time or the endlessness of numbers or the perfection of God willrecognise the special fascination of the subject. Beginning with anentertaining account of the main paradoxes of the infinite including those ofZeno A.W. Moore traces the history of the topic from Aristotle to Kant HegelCantor and Wittgenstein. Recent technical work is examined in the light ofCantors remarkable discovery that infinity comes in degrees some infinitesets are much bigger than others. Moore also gives a crisp sketch of Godelscelebrated proof his clear presentation enabling the nonmathematical readerto grasp deep mathematical issues. Drawing on these technical results and onthe early work of Wittgenstein Moore outlines his own original account of theinfinite. He argues that there are fundamental links between the infinite andthe ineffable. In a final chapter on human finitude these and other links aretraced out and the book concludes with a moving discussion of death and thepoignancy of human finitude. «