The Meaninglessness of Mathematics and Money

This is not a tirade against maths and money. This is an attempt to acknowledge the acceptance of these abstractions as being inappropriately attributed as absolutes. Abolishing the angst around these abstracts will allow the able to access their abreaction through the abjuration of these abominable assumptions. In short both mathematics and money are two of many abstract concepts given meaning and importance which is then taken as being inheritable in the things themselves. A realisation made when the statement 'Mathematics means nothing.' was met with startled, perhaps even offended, faces.

        What, then, do I mean when I say abstract? These abstracts are ideas which have no physical representaion and are, as such, non-physical entities which exist only as ideas. These ideas may assigned to physical things but they are not the physical things themselves. Money is not the little metal pieces which rattle in the pocket, nor is maths the ink or chalk squiggle which rests on the white/black board. They are ideas. They are abstracts. These abstracts can therefore acheive no meaning which originates from themselves. Money is not worth anything because it has inherent worth, nor does mathemetics work because the numbers and equations involved are essentially arranged to equate. The metal and markings are attached to meanings which originate not from themselves but from an individual. That is they are ideas and remain ideas even when applied to things which exist physically because they are not themselves pysical entities.

      
        The world is an entity which pre-exists any applicable essence. Thus it is naturally chaotic, unpredictable and irrational. It is also meaningless. Humanity requires a world which is controllable and subduable. Thought is used to supress this chaos by applying abstractions which form structures of control. Therefore these abstractions are  illusory concepts which create an ordered world in which humanity can live in absence of the fear which once consumed it.
      
        It is clear that the utility of the abstract is not in question here. Money is still useful, as is mathematics, yet only in societies where they are depended upon for maintainance of the established structures. Utility, however, is not commensurate with meaning. Abstractions  are therefore gifted a purpose but do not have innate meaning. This is because the abstract-in-itself is utterly meaningless whilst the intention attributed to it is an empowering phenomenon which leads those who accept the intention as appropriate to gain an appreciation for the usefullness of the abstract. This cannot be allowed to mask the meaninglessness of the abstract-in-itself. Unfortunately it appears that the utilisation of the abstract causes many to understand it as a necessity and not an optional form of order. Abstracts which are successful are not, nor will they ever be, necessary.
       
        We reach the conclusion of this breif investigation into the meaning (or lack thereof) of abstracts. As they have been established as external, influential ideas which attempt to impose order on the chaos of the world they are at once both meaningless and unnecessary. Though they cannot be avoided, for, if we were to decide not to use money or mathematics for example, the systems we have now become dependant upon would collapse and we would need to reform our understanding of a countless range of disciplines and ideas we take for granted. Again, dependency does not equate to necessity, many civilisations past and present have existed successfully in the absence of mathematics, money and countless other abstracts, yet they have developed their own abstracts with which to understand the cosmos in a structured way. Abstracts are authoritative only as far as we allow them to become an authority over us. As such they also have meaning only as far as we attribute meaning to them. Abstracts necessitate human meaning, human's cannot draw meaning from necessity to abstracts.