(April 3, 2013 at 2:08 am)fr0d0 Wrote: Everything cannot require a cause. That would be illogical. But everything material that we know of needs a cause. Materialist dilemma.
The only thing we know of that begins to exist are virtual particles. The reason they begin to exist is that momentum and location of a particle cannot both be known simultaneously, and the momentum and location of a non-existing particle would be known: 0, 0. Virtual particles are not caused, they occur spontaneously.
So not everything material that we know of needs a cause. In addition, observing a chain of causality within the universe does not entitle us to assume that the universe itself requires causation. Time begins with the universe, causality is meaningless without time.
So, not a materialist dillemma. Just sayin'. There's no inherent problem in materialism with either an uncaused cause or infinite regression. Unless you've a proof that either is impossible? It would settle some things if you do.