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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 4:22 pm
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2015 at 4:24 pm by robvalue.)
Yes! That's the one 
So... if you take the set of all explanations for everything... does the set itself have an explanation?
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 4:54 pm
(February 18, 2015 at 4:22 pm)robvalue Wrote:
So... if you take the set of all explanations for everything... does the set itself have an explanation? That's what I was wondering.
If the universe is identical to it's parts and it's parts are explained in relation to each other, then the universe contains it's own explanation which means the universe is self-explanatory in the way classical theists want god to be.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot
We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 5:24 pm
Quote:1. Does everything have an explanation?
Maybe.
Quote:2. Does everything have a cause?
No.
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 5:32 pm
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2015 at 5:32 pm by Alex K.)
(February 18, 2015 at 3:54 pm)Pizz-atheist Wrote: I have two related questions:
1. Does everything have an explanation?
2. Does everything have a cause?
I have a question for you: what is an explanation? When is some statement an explanation for something?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm
(February 18, 2015 at 4:13 pm)Alex K Wrote: No by default. Show me otherwise
I would not go as far as that, but until a reason is given to think that everything does have a cause, and everything does have an explanation, there is no reason to believe that everything has a cause, and everything has an explanation. With an absence of evidence, the most sensible position is to withhold judgement, and neither affirm that they are true, nor that they are false. And as others have observed, the questions themselves are less than perfectly clear, so it is entirely possible that we could be led in different directions with different interpretations.
I rather doubt we are going to see any proof of either proposition appearing in this thread any time soon.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 6:33 pm
(February 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: (February 18, 2015 at 4:13 pm)Alex K Wrote: No by default. Show me otherwise
I would not go as far as that, but until a reason is given to think that everything does have a cause, and everything does have an explanation, there is no reason to believe that everything has a cause, and everything has an explanation.
How does this differ from my position?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 6:41 pm
Not everything has a cause. Only those things that come into or go out of being, i.e. anything subject to change.
The idea that everything that exists has an explanation comes from Liebnitz's 'Principle of Sufficient Reason.'
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 6:41 pm
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2015 at 6:46 pm by Pyrrho.)
(February 18, 2015 at 6:33 pm)Alex K Wrote: (February 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: (February 18, 2015 at 4:13 pm)Alex K Wrote: No by default. Show me otherwise
I would not go as far as that, but until a reason is given to think that everything does have a cause, and everything does have an explanation, there is no reason to believe that everything has a cause, and everything has an explanation.
How does this differ from my position?
If one says "no" to the question, "Does everything have an explanation?", that means that not everything has an explanation. Likewise, if one says "no" to the question, "Does everything have a cause?", that means that not everything has a cause.
I am suggesting that one refrain from either saying "yes" or "no" until evidence is presented. (Which, of course, I do not expect to be forthcoming, but that is another matter.)
We can liken this to the question, "Is there a god?" There is a difference between affirming that there is no god, and refraining from making a judgment about the question.
This was somewhat elaborated in the part of my post you omitted when quoting:
(February 18, 2015 at 5:40 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: ... With an absence of evidence, the most sensible position is to withhold judgement, and neither affirm that they are true, nor that they are false. And as others have observed, the questions themselves are less than perfectly clear, so it is entirely possible that we could be led in different directions with different interpretations.
I rather doubt we are going to see any proof of either proposition appearing in this thread any time soon.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 6:45 pm
Can someone explain if you need an explanation of the need for explanation?
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RE: "Everything has a cause and an explanation" discussion.
February 18, 2015 at 6:47 pm
It confuses me slightly that you first say there is no reason to believe sth and then claim to withold judgment. To me that is judgment.
But anyways, before we go on - do we have a working definition of what constitutes an explanation?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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