Why is there anything? (Introduction)

by dhw, Friday, March 30, 2012, 19:09 (4599 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: By definition a first cause has to have the power to cause. It must be an eternal 'something'. Eternal, or otherwise it would not be a first cause. Naturally it can exist in a void, surrounded by that void, but separate from it. Since you agree there has to a first choice, why not pick something?-I agree with you that the first cause must be eternal. I find it impossible actively to believe that the astonishing complexities of life and consciousness can have originated by chance, which by extension suggests some sort of design. How on earth, then, can I possibly believe that a living consciousness/ intelligence on a scale infinitely greater than our own was NOT designed? This is a logical absurdity. An absolute void containing (surrounding) an infinitely powerful, self-generated consciousness/intelligence is way beyond my credulity. One wonders what consciousness in a void might be conscious of! The alternative is an eternal and ever-changing universe: if you like, eternal, ever-changing energy randomly transmuting itself for ever into different forms of matter. At least that scenario doesn't involve any logical contortions. But you clearly cannot envisage an eternal, randomly changing universe, let alone one that engenders life and consciousness, and frankly nor can I. So why must we pick? What's wrong with saying: "I don't know ... I don't believe either scenario ... we do have something and we don't know why. That's just how things are."