On the Question Why There Exists Something Rather Than Nothing
arXiv Preprint Archive November 23, 2021 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe author offers a speculative explanation for why there is something rather than nothing, though they believe it is incorrect because it predicts the absence of qualia, which they consider empirically false. The reasoning, if correct, could in principle derive all laws of nature and physical facts about the universe. The author then discusses which objections to this explanation are valid and which are not.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Physics.hist-ph |
| Key finding | Argues that a proposed explanation for why there is something rather than nothing is likely incorrect because it predicts the absence of qualia, which the author considers empirically false. |
Abstract
In my opinion, nothing useful has ever been written on the question in the title, and small is the contribution that I have to offer. I outline an explanation for why there is something rather than nothing, an explanation which, however, I believe is incorrect because it makes a certain empirical prediction (absence of qualia) that is incorrect. Nevertheless, it may be interesting to discuss this reasoning. It allows, in principle though not in practice, to derive the laws of nature and all physical facts about the universe. Then I elucidate which objections to this explanation are, in my opinion, valid and which are not.