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caloriesdont

Re:Why does anything exist? on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @03:53PM (#32417517)
Hmm, I don't see the problem -

Everything in the universe is contingent, except for one thing which is necessary. Everything relies on that necessary foundation.

What's the issue?

Re:Why does anything exist? on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @03:32PM (#32417282)
> Specifically, if the universe is everything that there ever is or ever will be, how can it be contingent upon something external to itself?

It would be contingent upon a necessary foundation within the universe.

So there is one specific part in the universe that is necessary, and everything else around that is contingent.

Re:Why does anything exist? on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @03:31PM (#32417256)
>Sure you can say something is required but it's rather arbitrary.

It's only arbitrary if there aren't good reasons.

Dozens of reasons have been given in philosophy, it's up to you to decide if any of them work.

One of the big differences would be to point out that the universe is completely composite, whereas a foundation could be purely simple.

Josh Rasmussen is a great communicator about this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX79xXgi44o&ab_channel=TheUn...

Re:Why does anything exist? on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @03:27PM (#32417207)
> our universe requires a "sustaining cause" (as with a picture on a TV set).

Diving further into this, there's a hot debate about whether the universe does require a sustaining cause (the Existential Expiration thesis), or whether it can just exist unless something stops it from existing (Existential Inertia Thesis)

Personally, I am inclined to think that things tend to keep existing unless something stops them from existing, and that the universe therefore needs no sustaining cause.

https://philpapers.org/rec/SCHEIA-20

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