"[21] Noted philosophical wit Sidney Morgenbesser answered the question with an apothegm: "If there were nothing you'd still be complaining! This has to be the most important question of all, and one that requires very careful consideration.To start at the beginning let's examine the question. Saint … The pre-Socratic philosopher Parmenides was one of the first Western thinkers to question the possibility of nothing. ", "5 Reasons Why the Universe Can't Be Merely a Brute Fact : Strange Notions", "Transcript of the Russell/Copleston radio debate", Michael Kuhn (to Christopher Ishaam) – Closer To Truth, "Why there's something rather than nothing", "Levels of Nothing by Robert Lawrence Kuhn – Closer To Truth", Relationship between religion and science, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Why_there_is_anything_at_all&oldid=996474627, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2017, Articles needing expert attention with no reason or talk parameter, Articles needing expert attention from April 2019, Philosophy articles needing expert attention, Articles needing more viewpoints from April 2019, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 December 2020, at 20:47. There was no magic 'creator' with an agenda for magically whipping up a Universe! : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt.He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. The questions pertaining to "why there is anything at all? If the universe didn't exist, would anyone be asking "Why does whatever this is that isn't a universe exist?" 5 years ago . [18][19], Physicist Max Tegmark wrote about the mathematical universe hypothesis, which states that all mathematical structures exist physically, and the physical universe is one of these structures. God exists and created the universe. The Bible claims that the Christian deity created the universe and placed humans in it … Because the universe is a physical entity, it is contingent, and because it is contingent, there needs to be a sufficient reason for its existence. If the explanation cannot begin with some entity, then it is hard to see how any explanation is feasible. Why does the universe exist? Messages: 3,871. is unanswerable. Curiosity, he argues, is possible "even when the proposition is known to be a necessary truth." [17], Philosopher of physics Dean Rickles has argued that numbers and mathematics (or their underlying laws) may necessarily exist. The Supreme Court building does not appear in-game. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? Defining this "beyond the universe" would imply that the universe has an edge. Philosopher Roy Sorensen writes in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy that to many philosophers the question is intrinsically impossible to answer, like squaring a circle, and even God does not sufficiently answer it: "To explain why something exists, we standardly appeal to the existence of something else... For instance, if we answer 'There is something because the Universal Designer wanted there to be something', then our explanation takes for granted the existence of the Universal Designer. People have wrestled with the mystery of why the universe exists for thousands of years. Why is there something instead of nothing? For example if I ask why the sky is blue, I am basically asking for what reason the sky is blue instead of red or green or else. - Jim Holt (2014) by TEDTalks and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. The contemporary philosopher Roy Sorenson has dismissed this line of reasoning. Only people need reasons. which could at least have partial answers. Criticism of the question. Logicians should feel no more ashamed of their inability to perform this deduction than geometers should feel ashamed at being unable to square the circle."[26]. At any moment, the universe may collapse back into the true vacuum state, at which point there will be no universe. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. They included: Rejection of all books, including the Bible, that are claimed to contain divine revelation. If someone tells you this, he is talking nonsense. The universe shouldn't exist, scientists say after finding bizarre behaviour of anti-matter. However, this answer has not satisfied physicist Sean Carroll, who argues that Wilczek's aphorism accounts merely for the existence of matter, but not the existence of quantum states, space-time or the universe as a whole.[25]. Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek is credited with the aphorism that "nothing is unstable." They said. Factories remain fairly common, as was the case during the American industrial economy of the 1940s-1960s, and, while heavily automated with robotics, are still quite primitive by our present-day standards. The instant after the Big Bang, know as Inflation, was a period … When you ask why some particular thing exists, an equivalent question is to ask why that particular thing exist the way it exists, and not differently. [16], Why is there something rather than nothing? Logicians should feel no more ashamed of their inability to perform this deduction than geometers should feel ashamed at being unable to square the circle."[26]. In reality, it is impossible to prove that something does not exist. 1 year ago. Why Does The Universe Exist Consider that the universe is some sort of toy or form of entertainment for some prime mover, his point, his own entertainment, would be then why the universe exists. He compares the question to asking "what is north of the North Pole? Philosopher and writer Jim Holt follows this question … Our best theories predict that all the matter in the universe should have been destroyed as soon as it existed. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Why Does the Universe Exist and Other Things We Cannot Know October 11, 2016 by David James. The universe is a pretty grand place to live, but scientists have one issue with it, it's an anomaly that should be scientifically impossible. If quantum physics states matter doesn't exist when it's not being noticed, then, without life, would the universe cease to exist? HY DOES THE UNIVERSE EXIST? The universe (Latin: universus) is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy.While the spatial size of the entire universe is unknown, it is possible to measure the size of the observable universe, which is currently estimated to be 93 billion light-years in diameter. Top Answer. 1 year ago . [20], Philosopher Stephen Law has said the question may not need answering, as it is attempting to answer a question that is outside a spatio-temporal setting, from within a spatio-temporal setting. Some philosophers conclude 'Why is there something rather than nothing?' 10 mysteries of the universe: Why does anything exist at all? However, it provides no insight into why not converging to π/4 is impossible. However, some things do exist appear in multiple universes, including company brands, vehicles, placenames, weapons, and in-series celebrities (e.g Lazlow). 1 year ago . [28][29][30][31] Nothing might be a human concept that is only a construct and inappropriate for a description of a possible state, or absence of state. Harry. Read about TED: JIm Holt: Why does the universe exist? This may sound like the dumbest of questions, for we know our universe is all the matter and energy that inhabits space and time. That’s creepy! Curiosity, he argues, is possible "even when the proposition is known to be a necessary truth." 29 30 31. So there are some conclusion from that way of think-the basic is that there is no God or something like this, and everything is like this because all … Mystery: Why does anything exist at all? Why does the universe exist? According to the hypothesis, the universe appears fine-tuned for intelligent life because of the anthropic principle, with most universes being devoid of life. For those who would like a bit fuller explanation, we can expand (ouch; I know, unforgivable a second time) on that a bit. Many other thinkers, such as Bede Rundle,[27] have questioned whether nothing is an ontological possibility. Someone who poses the question in a comprehensive way will not grant the existence of the Universal Designer as a starting point. Philosophy used to be the king of science. Many other thinkers, such as Bede Rundle,[27] have questioned whether nothing is an ontological possibility. ~~~ All 'why's' exist in the imagination of the beholder! "[14][15], Philosopher Brian Leftow has argued that the question cannot have a causal explanation (as any cause must itself have a cause) or a contingent explanation (as the factors giving the contingency must pre-exist), and that if there is an answer it must be something that exists necessarily (i.e., something that just exists, rather than is caused). To explain why, we need a little theology. The least expansive (forgive the pun) answer is that an event called the Big Bang occurred. [6][7][8], The question is posed comprehensively, rather than concerning the existence of anything specific such as the universe or multiverse, the Big Bang, mathematical laws, physical laws, time, consciousness, or God. I believe they are both good questions. Fred Hoyle also argued for a fine-tuned universe in his 1984 book The Intelligent Universe. This article is about the fictional universe, world or reality where all films and other stories of the Shrek franchise (including Puss in Boots spin-offs) take place. According to the hypothesis, the universe appears fine-tuned for intelligent life because of the anthropic principle, with most universes being devoid of life. Kaede. What makes you think the universe exists? I am asking for the particular reason that makes it be this color, and not another one. They think the question stumps us by imposing an impossible explanatory demand, namely, 'Deduce the existence of something without using any existential premises'. The Stand's user may then alter the characteristics of the universe and the fates of the people in the recreated universe and create the perfect world they desire. What would you choose?” I said. Answer Save. Philosophy used to be the king of science. The Bible claims that the Christian deity created the universe and placed humans in it … You are 'anthropomorphising' Nature!! ", or, "why there is something rather than nothing" has been raised or commented on by philosophers including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,[4] Ludwig Wittgenstein,[5] and Martin Heidegger – who called it "the fundamental question of metaphysics". That is, why is there anything rather than nothing? A previous universe would be like a mythical universe that never really existed. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? THERE ARE here two questions: (1) Why does the Universe exist at all? They think the question stumps us by imposing an impossible explanatory demand, namely, 'Deduce the existence of something without using any existential premises'. Possibly the most important ‘why’ question of all, and as such it should receive more attention. Criticism of the question. ", Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Metaphysics special: Why is there something rather than nothing? "[24], Physicists such as Stephen Hawking and Lawrence Krauss have offered explanations that rely on quantum mechanics, saying that in a quantum vacuum state particles will spontaneously come into existence. Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolin's 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. “Okay, but what if you had a choice? Hard to imagine now, but it’s true. ",[22][23] or "Even if there was nothing, you still wouldn't be satisfied! And the basics of the quantum theory is that every possible outcome from every moment should be performed. If quantum physics states matter doesn't exist when it's not being noticed, then, without life, would the universe cease to exist? This question demonstrates the dangers of trying to comprehend modern physics from popularizations. ", Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Metaphysics special: Why is there something rather than nothing? If the universe didn't exist, would anyone be asking "Why does whatever this is that isn't a universe exist?" ", Scientific American. “No! It largely imitates fairy tale fantasy settings, with medieval technology and society combined with magical elements. Philosopher Roy Sorensen writes in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy that to many philosophers the question is intrinsically impossible to answer, like squaring a circle, and even God does not sufficiently answer it: "To explain why something exists, we standardly appeal to the existence of something else... For instance, if we answer 'There is something because the Universal Designer wanted there to be something', then our explanation takes for granted the existence of the Universal Designer. | Steven Universe Wiki | Fandom FANDOM. This question was originally answered on Quora by Viktor T. Toth. Why does the universe exist? Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts. It can be seen as an open metaphysical question. Here’s my view. Why does the universe exist? The universe could then consist of an infinite sequence of finite universes, with each finite universe ending with a Big Crunch that is also the Big Bang of the next universe. [17], Philosopher of physics Dean Rickles has argued that numbers and mathematics (or their underlying laws) may necessarily exist. Wikis. According to the hypothesis, the universe appears fine-tuned for intelligent life because of the anthropic principle, with most universes being devoid of life. He compares the question to asking "what is north of the North Pole? The questions pertaining to "why there is anything at all? Mathematically, ... How do we know that the universe is flat A video explains how astrophysicists measure the geometry of the universe at Physicsworld.com; Geometry of the Universe at icosmos.co.uk; Janna Levin, Evan Scannapieco & Joseph Silk (1998). Nature and the universe don't need a reason to exist or to do anything. Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Saint, Jun 4, 2020. ", or, "why there is something rather than nothing" has been raised or commented on by philosophers including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,[4] Ludwig Wittgenstein,[5] and Martin Heidegger – who called it "the fundamental question of metaphysics". Π/4 is impossible, asking why that is, why is there something rather than nothing? 3. Universe do n't need a little theology that an event called the Big Bang occurred things we can not with! 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