Why is There Anything But Nothing?
by Why is there anything other than nothing? In this article, I explore this most fundamental question and then present a passage from Annie Dillard and W. Somerset Maugham.
This leads me to consider the Zen koan, “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, did it really fall?” Is consciousness necessary for all that we know as the world to exist? That’s a fascinating question to ponder because it asks ultimately whether matter or consciousness is the foundation of life. I’ll explore this question in the next article in this series.
Passage from Annie Dillard and W. Somerset Maugham that Address this Question
Why is there something here instead of nothing? And why are we aware of this question—we people, particles going around and around this black stone? Why are we aware of it?
Dillard, Annie. For the Time Being (New York: Vintage Books, 1999), 93.
He was no nearer to the meaning of life than he had been before. Why the world was there and what men had come into existence for at all was as inexplicable as ever. Surely there must be some reason. . . . [There] was no answer at all unless you found it out for yourself.
Maugham, W. Somerset. Of Human Bondage (New York: Penguin Books, 1991), 285.
Take a Look at My Other Similar Articles that Ask Hard Questions
What Is the Purpose of Suffering?
Is It Possible to Believe in Any Religion As the Literal Truth?
About Me
Books are my “church” in that they help to satisfy my need to explore the mystery of life. At their best, words keep pace with the profound questions of life, honoring their depth and sincerity, without giving pat, flat answers.
I consider myself a mystical agnostic. This is a term that I am borrowing from Karen Armstrong’s fascinating book A History of God: The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I have struggled with the hard questions and come to the conclusion that agnosticism is the only truly authentic position I can claim. I do not “know” the answers to the grand mysteries of life. The mystical component describes my intense interest in religions, spirituality, and mysticism as a path to experience the spirituality latent in the self.
by ButterflySha
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