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Trying to deny the possibility that the universe could not exist is a fool's errand. Clearly, existence is contingent. There is no logical requirement that mat
by cpr 11y ago
Trying to deny the possibility that the universe could not exist is a fool's errand.
Clearly, existence is contingent. There is no logical requirement that matter exist, and there's a clear logical possibility that nothing physical would have ever come into being.
(It's hard to wrap one's mind around this because we do exist.)
- hsitz 11y agoI think the better response is that our minds aren't capable of answering the question of whether the universe is eternal or had a beginning, is necessary or contingent. We lack the conceptual apparatus for understanding and/or answering the question. This position goes back at least to Kant's antinomies (specifically the first and fourth): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant's_antinomies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant's_antinomies
- a3n 11y ago> It's hard to wrap one's mind around this because we do exist. I confess that I get slightly dizzy when I contemplate the existence of absolutely nothing. I have all kinds of inexpressible contradictions over the observation of nothing, but skipping all that to the acceptance of "nothing" ... What doe that mean?
- exodust 11y ago"there's a clear logical possibility that nothing physical would have ever come into being" Not really, because "logical possibilities" wouldn't exist in a true state of universal nothingness. Not even "nothingness" would exist. The fact it does, says that what we have is eternal... or so he says, and I kind of like the idea.