Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing

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Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story

Jim Holt
Why Does the World Exist An Existential Detective Story Book PDF

Author : Jim Holt
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2012-07-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780871403278

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Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt Pdf

The Washington Post Notable Non-Fiction of 2013 “I can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book.”—Sarah Bakewell, New York Times Book Review, front-page review Tackling the “darkest question in all of philosophy” with “raffish erudition” (Dwight Garner, New York Times), author Jim Holt explores the greatest metaphysical mystery of all: why is there something rather than nothing? This runaway bestseller, which has captured the imagination of critics and the public alike, traces our latest efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. Holt adopts the role of cosmological detective, traveling the globe to interview a host of celebrated scientists, philosophers, and writers, “testing the contentions of one against the theories of the other” (Jeremy Bernstein, Wall Street Journal). As he interrogates his list of ontological culprits, the brilliant yet slyly humorous Holt contends that we might have been too narrow in limiting our suspects to God versus the Big Bang. This “deft and consuming” (David Ulin, Los Angeles Times) narrative humanizes the profound questions of meaning and existence it confronts.

The Puzzle of Existence

Tyron Goldschmidt
The Puzzle of Existence Book PDF

Author : Tyron Goldschmidt
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2014-02-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781136249228

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The Puzzle of Existence by Tyron Goldschmidt Pdf

This groundbreaking volume investigates the most fundamental question of all: Why is there something rather than nothing? The question is explored from diverse and radical perspectives: religious, naturalistic, platonistic and skeptical. Does science answer the question? Or does theology? Does everything need an explanation? Or can there be brute, inexplicable facts? Could there have been nothing whatsoever? Or is there any being that could not have failed to exist? Is the question meaningful after all? The volume advances cutting-edge debates in metaphysics, philosophy of cosmology and philosophy of religion, and will intrigue and challenge readers interested in any of these subjects.

A Universe from Nothing

Lawrence M. Krauss
A Universe from Nothing Book PDF

Author : Lawrence M. Krauss
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2012-01-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781451624472

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A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss Pdf

Bestselling author and acclaimed physicist Lawrence Krauss offers a paradigm-shifting view of how everything that exists came to be in the first place. “Where did the universe come from? What was there before it? What will the future bring? And finally, why is there something rather than nothing?” One of the few prominent scientists today to have crossed the chasm between science and popular culture, Krauss describes the staggeringly beautiful experimental observations and mind-bending new theories that demonstrate not only can something arise from nothing, something will always arise from nothing. With a new preface about the significance of the discovery of the Higgs particle, A Universe from Nothing uses Krauss’s characteristic wry humor and wonderfully clear explanations to take us back to the beginning of the beginning, presenting the most recent evidence for how our universe evolved—and the implications for how it’s going to end. Provocative, challenging, and delightfully readable, this is a game-changing look at the most basic underpinning of existence and a powerful antidote to outmoded philosophical, religious, and scientific thinking.

Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?

Leszek Kolakowski
Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing Book PDF

Author : Leszek Kolakowski
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2017-05-04
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780141919522

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Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing? by Leszek Kolakowski Pdf

Can nature make us happy? How can we know anything? What is justice? Why is there evil in the world? What is the source of truth? Is it possible for God not to exist? Can we really believe what we see? There are questions that have intrigued the world’s great thinkers over the ages, which still touch a cord in all of us today. They are questions that can teach us about the way we live, work, relate to each other and see the world. Here, one of the world’s greatest living philosophers, Leszek Kolakowski, explores the essence of these ideas, introducing figures from Socrates to Thomas Aquinas, Descartes to Nietzsche and concentrating on one single important philosophical question from each of them. Whether reflecting on good and evil, truth and beauty, faith and the soul, or free will and consciousness, Kolakowski shows that these timeless ideas remain at the very core of our existence.

Why there is Something rather than Nothing

Bede Rundle
Why there is Something rather than Nothing Book PDF

Author : Bede Rundle
Publisher : Clarendon Press
Page : 217 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2004-02-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191533679

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Why there is Something rather than Nothing by Bede Rundle Pdf

Why should there be anything at all? Why, in particular, should a material world exist? Bede Rundle advances clear, non-technical answers to these perplexing questions. If, as the theist maintains, God is a being who cannot but exist, his existence explains why there is something rather than nothing. However, this can also be explained on the basis of a weaker claim. Not that there is some particular being that has to be, but simply that there has to be something or other. Rundle proffers arguments for thinking that that is indeed how the question is to be put to rest. Traditionally, the existence of the physical universe is held to depend on God, but the theist faces a major difficulty in making clear how a being outside space and time, as God is customarily conceived to be, could stand in an intelligible relation to the world, whether as its creator or as the author of events within it. Rundle argues that a creator of physical reality is not required, since there is no alternative to its existence. There has to be something, and a physical universe is the only real possibility. He supports this claim by eliminating rival contenders; he dismisses the supernatural, and argues that, while other forms of being, notably the abstract and the mental, are not reducible to the physical, they presuppose its existence. The question whether ultimate explanations can ever be given is forever in the background, and the book concludes with an investigation of this issue and of the possibility that the universe could have existed for an infinite time. Other topics discussed include causality, space, verifiability, essence, existence, necessity, spirit, fine tuning, and laws of Nature. Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing offers an explanation of fundamental facts of existence in purely philosophical terms, without appeal either to theology or cosmology. It will provoke and intrigue anyone who wonders about these questions.

The Ultimate Why Question

John F. Wippel
The Ultimate Why Question Book PDF

Author : John F. Wippel
Publisher : CUA Press
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2011-06-08
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780813218632

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The Ultimate Why Question by John F. Wippel Pdf

This volume gathers studies by prominent scholars and philosophers about the question how have major figures from the history of philosophy, and some contemporary philosophers, addressed "the ultimate why question": why is there anything at all rather than nothing whatsoever?

Descartes's Method of Doubt

Janet Broughton
Descartes s Method of Doubt Book PDF

Author : Janet Broughton
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2003-10-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0691117322

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Descartes's Method of Doubt by Janet Broughton Pdf

In 'Descartes's Method of Doubt', Broughton analyses Descartes's novel way of raising radical doubt and argues that he thought he could use doubt to achieve certainty by uncovering the conditions that make radical doubt possible.

The Ages of the World

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Von Schelling
The Ages of the World Book PDF

Author : Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Von Schelling
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2000-01-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0791444171

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The Ages of the World by Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Von Schelling Pdf

Schelling's never completed "masterpiece", translated here with an introduction covering Schelling's life, other works, and a brief analysis of The Ages of the World by Wirth (philosophy, Ogelthorpe U.), explores the question of time as the relationship between poetry and philosophy. Contemporary philosophers herald this work as a predecessor to the modern debates about post-modernity and the limits of dialectical thinking.

The Mystery of Existence

John Leslie,Robert Lawrence Kuhn
The Mystery of Existence Book PDF

Author : John Leslie,Robert Lawrence Kuhn
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2013-04-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780470673553

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The Mystery of Existence by John Leslie,Robert Lawrence Kuhn Pdf

This compelling study of the origins of all that exists, including explanations of the entire material world, traces the responses of philosophers and scientists to the most elemental and haunting question of all: why is anything here—or anything anywhere? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why not nothing? It includes the thoughts of dozens of luminaries from Plato and Aristotle to Aquinas and Leibniz to modern thinkers such as physicists Stephen Hawking and Steven Weinberg, philosophers Robert Nozick and Derek Parfit, philosophers of religion Alvin Plantinga and Richard Swinburne, and the Dalai Lama. The first accessible volume to cover a wide range of possible reasons for the existence of all reality, from over 50 renowned thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, Bertrand Russell, Stephen Hawking, Steven Weinberg, Robert Nozick, Derek Parfit, Alvin Plantinga, Richard Swinburne, John Polkinghorne, Paul Davies, and the Dalai Lama Features insights by scientists, philosophers, and theologians Includes informative and helpful editorial introductions to each section Provides a wealth of suggestions for further reading and research Presents material that is both comprehensive and comprehensible

Experiencing Time

Simon Prosser
Experiencing Time Book PDF

Author : Simon Prosser
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780198748946

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Experiencing Time by Simon Prosser Pdf

Our engagement with time is a ubiquitous feature of our lives, but how does our encounter with it reveal the true nature of temporal reality? Simon Prosser addresses central questions at the heart of this debate, and explores our understanding of time, its passage, and our experience of changes, rates, and durations.

The Felt Meanings of the World

Quentin Smith
The Felt Meanings of the World Book PDF

Author : Quentin Smith
Publisher : Purdue University Press
Page : 376 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 1986
Category : Emotions (Philosophy).
ISBN : 0911198768

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The Felt Meanings of the World by Quentin Smith Pdf

In a critical dialogue with the metaphysical tradition from Plato to Hegel to contemporary schools of thought, the author convincingly argues that traditional rationalist metaphysics has failed to accomplish its goal of demonstrating the existence of a divine cause and moral purpose of the world. To replace the defective rationalist metaphysics, the author builds a new metaphysics on the idea that moods and affects make manifest the world's felt meanings; he argues that each feature of the world is a felt meaning in the sense that each feature is a source of a feeling-response if and when it appears. The author asserts that we must synthesize our two ways of knowing-poetic evocations and exact analyses-in order to decide which mood or affect is the appropriate appreciation of any given feature of the world. Smith gives evocative and exact explications of such features as the world's temporality, appearance, and mind-independency, as these features appear in the appropriate recitations.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

William L. Craig
The Kalam Cosmological Argument Book PDF

Author : William L. Craig
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2000-05-24
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781579104382

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The Kalam Cosmological Argument by William L. Craig Pdf

Does God exist? Of the many ongoing debates to answer this question, William Craig examines one of the most controversial proofs for the existence of God; the Kalam cosmological argument. Dr. Craig provides a broad assessment of the argument in lieu of recent developments in philosophy, mathematics, science and theology.

Ask a Manager

Alison Green
Ask a Manager Book PDF

Author : Alison Green
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2018-05-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780399181825

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Ask a Manager by Alison Green Pdf

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Mind and Cosmos

Thomas Nagel
Mind and Cosmos Book PDF

Author : Thomas Nagel
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 141 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2012-11-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199919758

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Mind and Cosmos by Thomas Nagel Pdf

The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete. And the cosmological history that led to the origin of life and the coming into existence of the conditions for evolution cannot be a merely materialist history, either. An adequate conception of nature would have to explain the appearance in the universe of materially irreducible conscious minds, as such. Nagel's skepticism is not based on religious belief or on a belief in any definite alternative. In Mind and Cosmos, he does suggest that if the materialist account is wrong, then principles of a different kind may also be at work in the history of nature, principles of the growth of order that are in their logical form teleological rather than mechanistic. In spite of the great achievements of the physical sciences, reductive materialism is a world view ripe for displacement. Nagel shows that to recognize its limits is the first step in looking for alternatives, or at least in being open to their possibility.

Leibniz and Kant

Brandon C. Look
Leibniz and Kant Book PDF

Author : Brandon C. Look
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 403 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199606368

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Leibniz and Kant by Brandon C. Look Pdf

Although it is common to see Kant's philosophy as at its core a reaction to (and partial rejection of) the dogmatism and rationalism of Leibniz, Wolff, and their followers, it is surprising how little detailed and critical study there has been of the relation between Leibniz and Kant. How did Kant understand Leibniz's philosophy? Did he correctly understand Leibniz's philosophy? Since only a portion of Leibniz's philosophical writings were published prior to Kant's critical period, is there a "true Leibniz" that Kant did not know? Are all of Kant's criticisms of Leibniz in particular and Leibnizian rationalism in general justified? Or does Leibniz have an answer to Kant's philosophy? Moreover, how should we understand the reception of Leibniz's philosophy in 18th-century Enlightenment Germany? Leibniz and Kant seeks to examine the relation between Leibniz and Kant by collecting essays written by some of the leading scholars of the history of modern philosophy, all of whom have in common a deep knowledge of both philosophers. This anthology further aims to create a dialogue between scholars of early modern philosophy and Kantians and to fill a lacuna in historical and philosophical scholarship. The essays contained here address fundamental questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophical theology in Leibniz and Kant and address Kant's understanding and interpretation of his philosophical predecessor.