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<blockquote data-quote="Phil Lewandowski" data-source="post: 66618" data-attributes="member: 44"><p>Re: You're welcome.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Hi Per,</p><p></p><p>The question is actually asking most specifically, why at this very moment do we continue in existence? Because as I mentioned above there is nothing in our very nature, or the nature of the universe that necessitates that it exists at this very moment. Now one can also direct this question to become a question of becoming, i.e., why did the physical universe come into existence at all, which opens up the can of worms of figuring out if one can prove philosophically that the physical universe had to have a beginning. (Although cosmology itself has been heading in the direction of showing that especially in the last 15 years.)</p><p></p><p></p><p>It is a very valid question because if one is doing any sort of science and asks the question, why did x behave as y, and one answers, "Just because it did" one would not take this answer as a serious answer to the question. In the same way when the philosopher asks why does the universe go through the bother of existing at this very moment, as Stephen Hawking posed, if one answers "just because it does" that is again not a valid or serious answer to the question. </p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a philosophical question as you note and is also the most fundamental of questions. And I agree that not all people will find it interesting to think about it. But that's why we leave it to the crazy philosopher people, and amateur philosophers like myself. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> The fascination of being able to come to ultimate knowledge of the first causes existence itself through reason alone is quite amazing, and to much to keep me from writing of questions such as these!</p><p></p><p></p><p>Take Care,</p><p>Phil</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Phil Lewandowski, post: 66618, member: 44"] Re: You're welcome. Hi Per, The question is actually asking most specifically, why at this very moment do we continue in existence? Because as I mentioned above there is nothing in our very nature, or the nature of the universe that necessitates that it exists at this very moment. Now one can also direct this question to become a question of becoming, i.e., why did the physical universe come into existence at all, which opens up the can of worms of figuring out if one can prove philosophically that the physical universe had to have a beginning. (Although cosmology itself has been heading in the direction of showing that especially in the last 15 years.) It is a very valid question because if one is doing any sort of science and asks the question, why did x behave as y, and one answers, "Just because it did" one would not take this answer as a serious answer to the question. In the same way when the philosopher asks why does the universe go through the bother of existing at this very moment, as Stephen Hawking posed, if one answers "just because it does" that is again not a valid or serious answer to the question. This is a philosophical question as you note and is also the most fundamental of questions. And I agree that not all people will find it interesting to think about it. But that's why we leave it to the crazy philosopher people, and amateur philosophers like myself. ;) The fascination of being able to come to ultimate knowledge of the first causes existence itself through reason alone is quite amazing, and to much to keep me from writing of questions such as these! Take Care, Phil [/QUOTE]
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