"Why is there something rather than nothing?" is The Fundamental Question Of Metaphysics — Martin Heidegger
That's an unfounded assumption. How did you come to the certain conclusion that something existing and nothing existing are equiprobable outcomes?There are 2 equiprobable possibilities: — TheMadFool
"The universe can be conceived of as having emerged from the possibility space"
Where does the "possibility space" come from?
Possibilities exist in minds. — Roger
Damn! Knew I should have placed that bet when there was Nothing. — Wayfarer
That's an unfounded assumption. How did you come to the certain conclusion that something existing and nothing existing are equiprobable outcomes? — Harry Hindu
The universe exists. — TheMadFool
You know, I think this is incorrect. Things exist. All kinds of them - big list. But 'the universe' is the background against which the notion of 'existence' is defined. It is tautologous to say that it exists, and preposterous to say it doesn't. And that means something. — Wayfarer
It's tautologous because any statement relies on the fact that the universe exists. It goes without saying. — Wayfarer
We do have the answer. Something exists. Therfore, this whole endeavor is unnecessary.if that weren't the case, we would either have the answer to the question or would be claiming knowledge we don't possess. — TheMadFool
We do have the answer. Something exists. Therfore, this whole endeavor is unnecessary. — Harry Hindu
Thats a different question that your formula doesn't address. It also seems like a useless non-sensical question. How useful do you expect the answer to be? — Harry Hindu
It assumes nothing can exist, or that something can come from nothing, but we know that to be wrong — Harry Hindu
Looks like both are saying the same thing.1. Nothing can exist can be interpreted in two ways:
1a. It's impossible for things to exist
1b. Nothing, itself, can exist — TheMadFool
Not sure I'm really understanding your question. The absence of one thing doesn't mean nothing. It means something else. In other words, when you imagine something not existing, you don't imagine nothing existing, you imagine something else in its place (space and air, or maybe a bachelor if you were imagining a married man).The fundamental question of metaphysics is about interpretation 1a. it's impossible for things to exist, it's falsity specifically which is "it's possible for things to exist". Why? — TheMadFool
Because its impossible. Its impossible to even think about how something could come from nothing, much less provide a coherent and useful explanation of how that would happen.2. How do you know that "something can come from nothing" is wrong? — TheMadFool
What is real? seems to me more fundamental in (and to) the history of speculative thought.The fundamental question of metaphysics asks, "why does the universe exist?" — TheMadFool
E.g. there are countless ways for 'something' to be and yet only one way for 'everything' to never have been (i.e. not to be). — 180 Proof
Looks like both are saying the same thing. — Harry Hindu
Not sure I'm really understanding your question. The absence of one thing doesn't mean nothing. It means something else. In other words, when you imagine something not existing, you don't imagine nothing existing, you imagine something else in its place (space and air, or maybe a bachelor if you were imagining a married man). — Harry Hindu
Because its impossible — Harry Hindu
Not-nothing.↪180 Proof What's the opposite of nothing? Is it everything or something? — TheMadFool
Everything entails something.What's the opposite of nothing? Is it everything or something? — TheMadFool
The latter is a contradiction. Nothing is not something that exists. One might say that existence is the opposite of nothing.1a. is about the nonexistence of things and 1b. is about the existence of nothing — TheMadFool
The distinction is meaningless in regards to the question of why there is something rather than nothing. To say whether it is more or less likely that there is something rather than nothing requires you to know the likelihood of something, rather than nothing, being the case given a set of prior circumstances. Is the prior set of circumstances something or nothing? Is it something all the way down? If not, then how does something come from nothing? Is that possible or probable?Equipossible =/= equiprobable — 180 Proof
Everything entails something. — Harry Hindu
Everything encompasses something.There's a difference between everything and something and this becomes clear when we realize that something doesn't entail everything. — TheMadFool
Everything encompasses something. — Harry Hindu
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