A question came up while I was reading Pragmatism. If we turn pragmatism on its head, what theoretical, rather than practical, difference would something make?
For instance, there are cases where notions with entirely different practical effects are theoretically, abstractly, or structurally the same.
Two notable examples are:
- Topologically equivalent three-dimensional structures: a familiar example is the equivalence of a coffee mug and a doughnut, which are both tori.
- Music transposition: Playing the same melody in another key might be practically very different, e.g. much harder or easier to play on the organ, and it might feel very different depending on how high or low the pitch is. But it is theoretically equivalent.
Using this notion, if we imagine a different existence, alternative universes, and other worlds, what properties, substances, or essences should certainly be present in them regardless of their differences? What is the most fundamental abstract essence that could ever exist?