The question
of why existence (not merely material existence, but the existence of literally
everything) 'exists' may seem like a daunting question, most likely because
existence itself seems both infinite and beyond human comprehension.
This is a
typical and somewhat emotional response to the question of existence that many of
us are probably familiar with. However, if we apply basic logic to this
question, rather than merely reacting emotionally, it is perhaps not such a
difficult question to engage with. To properly grapple with this question there
are two main points that we need to look at.
The first
point concerns an often preconceived idea about existence. This is the belief
that the reason for existence, or in other words why there is something rather
than nothing, must be due to a rather grand or complex cause.
How else could
the world and universe we are familiar with be so complex if its original cause
was not just as complex, if not more so?
The first
thing you need to realise is that it doesn't matter how complicated anything
is, whether a life form or an idea, it will always be made up of less
complicated elements.
Humans are of
course made up of smaller, less complicated parts, and those parts are
themselves made up of even less complicated parts.
Whenever
someone comes up with a new idea, whether it is in the form of a new
technological device, art or any philosophical idea, it will inevitably
incorporate a range of other smaller ideas. Any serious contemplation on
anything you think to be a whole, whether a physical object or an idea, will be
seen to be made up of smaller entities or ideas.
The eye for
example, one identifiable part of most animals and humans alike, is made up of
smaller distinct parts, such as the: iris, retina, cornea, etc. On closer
inspection we would eventually see individual atoms and on even closer
inspection: protons neutrons, electrons, etc.
Although we
are limited in what we can see with our naked eyes, or even with the aid of a
microscope, we can probably still imagine the perpetual pattern of increasingly
smaller 'entities' or forms of energy making up literally everything.
Even if we
cannot recognise the increasingly smaller physical parts, or ideas, that make
up larger things, they will always be there. Much like the expression 'all big
things have small beginnings', we should think that existence has, perhaps not
a small beginning, but rather a simple reason for why it 'exists' in the first
place.
The second
point is that in order to understand existence in a basic way you need to be
able to recognise basic concepts and their patterns.
For
instance light (colour) and numbers, two
basic concepts we are all familiar with, work in a relatively similar way. The
concept of pure white light contains within it every possible colour; those
colours we are able to see and every shade that we cannot. The concept of
infinity (∞) contains within it every possible number, both whole and decimal
numbers.
In terms of
mathematics (numbers) infinity represents endlessness, while in terms of light,
pure white light would represent perfect luminosity. Their opposites are both
represented by an absence. Black is an absence of light, and absolute zero (0)
is an absence of a number. In other words they are a way of representing
non-existence.
Even other
less basic concepts follow a similar suit. Masculinity and femininity juxtapose
one another, defining each other as opposites. In between the concepts of pure masculinity
(an absence of femininity) and pure femininity (an absence of masculinity) lie
an infinite number of variations combining elements from both concepts.
Most
individuals we are familiar with appear to incorporate various elements from
both masculinity and femininity no matter how physically masculine or feminine
they appear on the outside.
There are
various other concepts that you can probably think of that have juxtaposing
opposites that define one another.
In fact the
bigger (and perhaps ironically the more basic) the concept, such as absolute
zero and infinity, the easier it is to see the pattern of two opposites
defining one another. Simultaneously we can also see an infinite number of
variations in between these two concepts; such as the infinite amount of
individual numbers that could possibly exist in between 0 and ∞.
The major
issue you will now be wondering about is how could any existence 'exist' merely
due to its juxtaposition to pure nothingness? Although this idea can be better
described in the form of a book (which is linked below) it can be somewhat
addressed briefly.
The concept
of pure nothingness, being a complete absence of anything, does not need to be
explained in terms of needing a cause - it rather needs to be defined. This is
because actual things need to be explained in regards to how they came to be
(what caused them), not an absence of literally everything/anything.
This is not
the same as explaining why something that was once there apparently vanishes
into nothingness. This is rather the changing of one particular entity/object,
or energy into something we can no longer recognise. What we are looking at is
the concept of a complete absence of anything - including any space requiring
dimensions.
As we can
observe there is obviously actual existence, rather than pure nothingness. Even
if you think our existence is imaginary/an illusion there must always be
something to both create and observe this so-called illusion.
Therefore
your next question may be: as something can't create itself out of nothing all
of a sudden (scientifically speaking, not religiously or emotionally speaking),
then how could all of existence appear suddenly when moments before there was
literally nothing at all?
The only
logical answer left to us - even if it seems completely bizarre with our
limited human way of observing the world around us - is that there has always
been existence. When we follow the pattern of other fundamental concepts it
should be seen that existence 'exists' because
of the concept of pure nothingness, rather than suddenly appearing out of pure
nothingness.
There is no
other way for existence to 'exist'. Pure nothingness (non-existence) is defined
by its opposite; existence and vice versa. As the concept of pure nothingness
must always exist, as it does not need a cause, then its juxtaposing opposite
must have always 'existed' as well.
If pure
nothingness, like pure white light or infinity, is defined by and 'exists' because
of its juxtaposing opposite, then what is the exact opposite of pure nothingness?
Remember the
opposite of 0 is not 1 or any other number; the opposite of 1 is actually -1,
the non-existence of the concept of 1, while the opposite of 0, as mentioned
before is ∞ (infinity). Therefore, although we could say that nothing
(non-existence) is defined by something (existence), we cannot say that 'just anything'
is the perfect and complete opposite of pure nothingness.
We can
conceptualize the idea of absolute zero, pure blackness, infinity and pure
white light. We can also probably conceptualize the idea of pure nothingness -
no existence of anything whatsoever.
If you follow
the pattern of other concepts you can probably reach an adequate answer to what
the exact opposite of pure nothingness is, presuming of course that you haven't
brought with you any personal bias or baggage.
For a more
thorough look at why there is existence rather than nothing and how the basic
pattern of existence works you can refer to the book: The Reason For All Existence: How Existence At Its Fundamental Level
Works.
Davis McLeod
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