Why Is There Something Instead Of Nothing?

[Bodies Without Organs]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Nice spam.

[The Tofu Islands]

Why wouldn’t there be?

[Acadzia]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

BECAUSE YOU TOUCH YOURSELF AT NIGHT!

[DrunkenDove]

Nice spam.

Hardly.

If there was nothing, there'd be nobody around to notice it.

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Nice spam.

Hardly.

If there was nothing, there'd be nobody around to notice it.

[The Valepian Lands]

Forum 7 ahoy!

[Lackadaisical2]

Personally I think God did it. But thats not a very popular opinion in these parts.
Course then you question, how is there a God, in the end it just boils down to the same thing "magic", I suppose.

[Andaluciae]

Because there is.

[Bodies Without Organs]

Nice spam.

Nope.

One of the basic questions underlying western philosophy.

A little thing known as ontology boiled down to its most basic.

If there was nothing, there'd be nobody around to notice it.

Certainly, but the anthropic principle doesn't tackle the 'why', does it?

[Uawc]

I'm trying very, very hard not to post philosoraptor picspam right now.

[Tzorsland]

Who said there is no nothing; nothing is everywhere! There is lots of nothing around every something! The universe is full of nothing! Without nothing the universe would be really really tiny because all that nothing keeps the somethings apart.

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Who said there is no nothing; nothing is everywhere! There is lots of nothing around every something! The universe is full of nothing! Without nothing the universe would be really really tiny because all that nothing keeps the somethings apart.

There is no such thing as nothing.
Even nothing is something.

[Bodies Without Organs]

...in the end it just boils down to the same thing "magic", I suppose.

So, that which is structured by laws of physics is caused by that which is unstructured by the laws of physics?

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

There is no such thing as 'nothing'.

[JuNii]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

why not?

[Bodies Without Organs]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

There is no such thing as 'nothing'.

That appears to have been put forward as an objection to my question, but isn't.

Or have I misconstrued you?

[Inertina]

Is there something? Perhaps it is all just a misunderstood nothing instead?

thoughts to ponder

[EvilDarkMagicians]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

There is no such thing as 'nothing'.

That appears to have been put forward as an objection to my question, but isn't.

Or have I misconstrued you?

I don't get it.

[Lackadaisical2]

...in the end it just boils down to the same thing "magic", I suppose.

So, that which is structured by laws of physics is caused by that which is unstructured by the laws of physics?

Something like that. I haven't really heard a better explanation yet. Makes sense in a way, laws are enforced in human society by doing things which would normally be against the law (arrest vs. kidnap, etc.).

[Flameswroth]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

George just lucky, I guess

[Bodies Without Organs]

Is there something? Perhaps it is all just a misunderstood nothing instead?

thoughts to ponder

If there is misunderstanding then there is something.

[Bodies Without Organs]

Why is there something instead of nothing?

why not?

Correct me if I'mwrong, but doesn't 'why not?' raise the spectre of an uncaused cause?

[Free Soviets]

because there is only one possible 'nothing' and an infinite variety of possible 'somethings'. so it would just be weird for there to have been nothing instead of something. no causation needed beyond the mere possibility of something. so why was something a possibility? i don't know if it is even coherent to ask - what would it means for something to not have been possible?

[Farnhamia]

...in the end it just boils down to the same thing "magic", I suppose.

So, that which is structured by laws of physics is caused by that which is unstructured by the laws of physics?

That seems to be the theists' position, yes. I myself don't think so. The universe in its entirety, as we understand it, is governed by the laws of physics.