(January 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm)The Last Lamenter Wrote: In Black Holes, Baby Universes, and Other Essays, Hawking entertains the idea that perhaps we have, or at least we can discover the secrets to how the universe came to exist, but he quickly adds that even if we do know this, we still do not know why the universe bothers to exist in the first place.
This question, why? Even if we know the what, the why is what has driven me back into an uneasy faith. My first question to this Atheist community is how do you respond to Hawking’s question? We may know “the how?” and “the what?” of the universe’s origins, but why does it bother to exist in the first place?
First of all welcome. And good luck with your question.
Speaking for exactly one atheist I can say I don't find the why question at all compelling. I assume that what we see today is the result of preexisting conditions. Same with the big 'bang' - preexisting conditions. I do believe it truly is turtles all the way down.
Even if we posit a god, if you really must know why, how can you stop there? Why is there a god? Why is this god as it is? (Does this god have 'free will' in the matter?) What gave rise to god?
Philosophically I'm more interested in why we ask why. (I have theories.)
