Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

Whyshouldtherebeanythingatall?Why,inparticular,shouldamaterialworldexist?BedeRundleadvancesclear,non-technicalanswerstotheseperplexingquestions.If,asthetheistmaintains,Godisabeingwhocannotbutexist,hisexistenceexplainswhythereissomethingratherthannothing.However,thiscanalsobeexplainedonthebasisofaweakerclaim.Notthatthereissomeparticularbeingthathastobe,butsimplythattherehastobesomethingorother.Rundleproffersargumentsforthinkingthatthatisindeedhowthequestionistobeputtorest.Traditionally,theexistenceofthephysicaluniverseisheldtodependonGod,butthetheistfacesamajordifficultyinmakingclearhowabeingoutsidespaceandtime,asGodiscustomarilyconceivedtobe,couldstandinanintelligiblerelationtotheworld,whetherasitscreatororastheauthorofeventswithinit.Rundlearguesthatacreatorofphysicalrealityisnotrequired,sincethereisnoalternativetoitsexistence.Therehastobesomething,andaphysicaluniverseistheonlyrealpossibility.Hesupportsthisclaimbyeliminatingrivalcontenders;hedismissesthesupernatural,andarguesthat,whileotherformsofbeing,notablytheabstractandthemental,arenotreducibletothephysical,theypresupposeitsexistence.Thequestionwhetherultimateexplanationscaneverbegivenisforeverinthebackground,andthebookconcludeswithaninvestigationofthisissueandofthepossibilitythattheuniversecouldhaveexistedforaninfinitetime.Othertopicsdiscussedincludecausality,space,verifiability,essence,existence,necessity,spirit,finetuning,andlawsofNature."WhyThereIsSomethingRatherThanNothing"offersanexplanationoffundamentalfactsofexistenceinpurelyphilosophicalterms,withoutappealeithertotheologyorcosmology.Itwillprovokeandintrigueanyonewhowondersaboutthesequestions.