We are like a little child entering a huge library. So, he wasn't forced by lack of funds, time, or physical disability from seeking answers further afield. remains the darkest and most enduring of all metaphysical mysteries. The mystery of why the universe exists still intrigues and defies philosophers, theologians, scientists, and pretty much anyone who’s ever sprawled in a park and stared at the sky. Why did he write it? Too much belly button lint in here for my taste. Over the last few centuries, however, the divide between science and philosophy has grown larger and more irreconcilable, even while science overwhelmingly surpassed philosophy in importance. If Jim Holt's deft and consuming Why Does the … Why Does the World Exist? "Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?" In “Why Does the World Exist?,” Jim Holt, an elegant and witty writer comfortably at home in the problem’s weird interzone between philosophy and scientific cosmology, sets out in search of such answers. their properties like charge, mass, spin etc are also just indicative of certain interaction they engage with. It's a classical philosophical question. That was my introduction to the mystery of existence. Why is there a world, why are we in it, and why is there something rather than nothing at all? The universe shouldn't exist, scientists say after finding bizarre behaviour of anti-matter. Refresh and try again. All well & good & I enjoyed the ride, even though one should know from the outset that nothing will be decided. “The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. ? And what does it all mean? Philosophical reasoning, according to Thomas, is sufficient by itself, without faith or revelation, to demonstrate that God exists. This supremely unimportant book raises three deep and troubling questions. All told, Why Does the World Exist? Sure, it has taught me enough about Leibniz and Spinoza to be vaguely re-interested in specific metaphysicians, but Holt's self-absorbed and self-serving writing style is not worth my time. so the question wo. Jim Holt is an excellent writer who can explain philosophical, scientific and existential themes with skill. why do we think that the universe is made of electron and quark? Altogether: this is nice and worth checking out, and there's probably a lot for you here unless you're a specialist in both physics and metaphysics... which, well, I doubt many people are, and even then it might do a good job summarizing and contextualizing a lot of the major issues. Along the way, Jim Holt also introduces the reader to the philosophy of mathematics, theology, physics, ontology, epistemology, and other subjects.[1][2][5]. "I believe in Spinoza's God," he answered, "who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings.”, National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for General Nonfiction (2012), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2013), Do you agree that "The Jocaxian Nothingness" is the answer for the question: is exceedingly clear and well written. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. An intriguing and hopeless search for the meaning of existence. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. This book came to me via the very positive New York Times Book Review review, and it made the Times list of best books of the year. Holt reminds us philosophy can be fun, too. "National Book Critics Circle Names 2012 Award Finalists", "Review of Jim Holt's Why Does the World Exist? Why does the universe exist? Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. Science, Lewis argues, can study the material components of the universe, but it cannot offer an explanation for why the universe exists in the first place. Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? But many cosmologists now believe there are other “universes”, and perhaps our universe arose from one of them. Jim Holt’s recent book, Why Does the World Exist? As Jim Holt tells it, Martin Amis once remarked in an interview that we're about 5 Einsteins away from answering the question of why things exist and how the universe popped into being. Its author wrote it. He is an atheist. (Why else would "Why Does the World Exist?" : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. There could not be a causal explanation of why God exists. is exceedingly clear and well written. July 16th 2012 Holt took an interesting approach with this book, combining a serious, if somewhat light-hearted, philosophical inquiry into a profound metaphysical question with a non-fiction style situated between autobiography and travelogue. The anthropic principle is a group of principles attempting to determine how statistically probable our observations of the universe are, given that we could only exist in a particular type of universe to start with. Why Does the World Exist? In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? The puzzle of why there is something rather than nothing – from which all the biggest questions of metaphysics spring such as ‘where did we come … : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. A New Theory of the Universe (Robert Lanza, The American Scholar) The Simulation Argument (Nick Bostrom, Oxford University) Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation (Silas R. Beane et al, Cornell University Library Archive) Why does the universe exist? Secondly, that the universe EXISTS. By Derek Parfit This Spring Derek Parfit is Visiting Profssor of Philosophy at Harvard University, where he is teaching "Recent Ethical Theory" with T. M. Scanlon. the real things those matters, let say for an electron, are (-1, 1/2, 9.10938356 × 10^-31, etc) which represent charge, spin, and mass respectively. But that's to be expected & doesn't diminish the pleasure of the quest. :An Existential Detective Story, tackles the question that Martin Heidegger characterized as the greatest in all philosophy and William James called the darkest in all philosophy—why is there something rather than nothing? so the question would be, why do we think that the universe is not made out of just numbers like (-1, 1/2, 9.10938356 × 10^-31, etc) instead of some abstract entities like electron and quark? "The Basic Question 'Why Does the World Exist?' He conducts interviews with leading scientists and philosophers who have explored the mysteries of existence using the tools of mathematics, quantum mechanics, platonic philosophy, and philosophical. The whole group of universes, if there are indeed more than one, is commonly called the multiverse. : An Existential Detective Story . He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and everything else. i.e. Certianlyk the organizing question--why does the universe exist?--is interesting. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why Does the Universe Exist? This review of contemporary thinking on the question of existence represents the best of North American intellectual journalism where the writer tries to represent the intelligent 'ordinary joe' in his search for knowledge. Actually more like 4.5. By Sean Carroll. To see what your friends thought of this book. Theoretical physicist Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe, explains how that's possible in the new book, The Hidden Reality. In their new book, "The Grand Design," phyicists Stephen Hawking and Len Mlodinow tackle the ultimate meaning of life questions: why does the universe behaves the way it does and why do we exist? Why Does the World Exist? Scientists Studying EDM To Find Why Everything In The Universe Exists Somehow, at the beginning of time, there was an imbalance of matter and antimatter. It was paining me to get through this to begin with, because at the end of the day, though armed with plenty of jargon and intimidating vocabulary, Jim Holt is a bad writer, plain and simple; when I realized that in this guy's oh-so-noble quest to get to the bottom of no less comprehensive a question than why the world exists, he didn't deem it necessary to interview, cite, consult, credit, or indeed acknowledge a single person who wasn't a white man, I was done. It is philosophically engaging and highly informative. Because of my background, the philosophy felt a little basic, but a lot of the physics were engaging and new, and seeing them together was a nice treat. He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. Why is there something instead of nothing? The book irritated me, to say the least, and all I wanted to do was sit across a table from Holt and from everyone he interviewed (except David Deutsch and Steven Weinberg) and ask them if they were really kidding. by Liveright Publishing Corporation. Search Results for “why-the-universe-exists” – PDF Search Engine It was paining me to get through this to begin with, because at the end of the day, though armed with plenty of jargon a. I really, really don't like not finishing books, so congratulations to Mr. Holt for being one of the chosen few (I gave up with about 90 pages to go). But Jim Holt's slyly amiable and vulnerable persona is armed with a very serious purpose, and rather than give us potted versions of the views of the various players in this arena, he works out his own understanding, often in conversation wi. In this excerpt from his new book, Our Mathematical Universe, M.I.T. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. Lewis’s point is that religion and philosophy study the abstract question of why humans do things, while … the real things those matters, let say for an electron, are (-1, 1/2, 9.10938356 × 10^-31, etc) which represent charge, spin, and mass respectively. Following in the footsteps of Christopher Hitchens, Roger Penrose, and even Stephen Hawking, Jim Holt now enters this fractious debate with his lively and deeply informed narrative that traces the latest efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. Hard to imagine now, but it’s true. I really, really don't like not finishing books, so congratulations to Mr. Holt for being one of the chosen few (I gave up with about 90 pages to go). Why is there something instead of nothing? is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. An Existential Detective Story. October 11, 2016 by David James. Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? The Washington Post Notable Non-Fiction of 2013 “I can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book.”—Sarah Bakewell, New York Times Book Review , front-page review, Why Does the World Exist?, An Existential Detective Story, Jim Holt, 9780871403599 I took a college philosophy class more than two decades ago. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. Because its author poured himself a cup of coffee the other morning and sat down in front of the computer to write it. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. One is far likely to be left with some questions which one hopes Jim would have asked, but didn't- which is a wonderful testament to the genius of this book, since Jim is likely to be smarter than any of his readers. Why Does the World Exist? http://pjpub.org/Abstract/abstract_pet_197.htm, See all 3 questions about Why Does the World Exist?…, New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2012 (fiction and nonfiction), Goodreads Members Share the Books They've Been Rereading. The context of this scripture is the creation of the universe in which we live and can observe. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was the first to publish the question in 1714. He and the book were on the LA Times bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. Even with some limitations, this was a very stimulating book to read. ( CC0) Let the unpacking began. Childhood memories and annual traditions. An exuberant romp of a book. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. : An Existential Detective Story. Already, I've started a list of folk who will find it gift-wrapped from me at the holidays.— Karen R. Long. This is the idea that our universe is not the only one in existence. Philosopher and author Jim Holt plays the role of the inquisitive detective who is on a mission to answer the ultimate question of existence. In this book, the author records a quest to answer the question through a series of interviews and discussions. It’s a peripatetic book, one that only occasionally seems really … Even if he were limited to New York City, his home base, there must be a goodly supply of female thinkers in that city alone. It began with the big bang almost 14 billion years ago. is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." Possibly the most important ‘why’ question of all, and as such it should receive more attention. This all-inclusive being does not exist and cannot exist. But that's to be expected & doesn't diminish the pleasure of the quest. An Existential Detective Story' by Jim Holt", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Why_Does_the_World_Exist%3F&oldid=977004557, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 September 2020, at 10:49. This book helped clarify for me that I’m much more interested in the whats and hows of existence than the why of it. What?! Physicists have found the answer and it will blow your mind QUANTUM physicists have finally answered the biggest question of them all – why is there a universe? As Jim Holt tells it, Martin Amis once remarked in an interview that we're about 5 Einsteins away from answering the question of why things exist and how the universe popped into being. Still, Skow’s view of time does lead to him to offer some slightly more unusual-sounding conclusions. I was furious, outraged, bombastic. Why Does the World Exist? space, time and complexity. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Far from being an imaginary idea, multiple universes can exist, according to … It's more engaging than most surveys, with some nice cameos by prominent scientists/philosophers, and less shallow than most things aimed at a general audience. A nice, well written survey of contemporary metaphysics/science, mostly trying to explain "why there is something rather than nothing". “Why Does the Universe Exist?” could have used more moments that slyly build to something like awe. An exuberant romp of a book. The New York Review of Books - What Can You Really Know? The so-called "five ways" are taken from his Summa Theologica. A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book. Three cheers for deep thought and wild conjecture! Why is there something instead of nothing? And it artistically weaves together a personal narrative and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry. An advaita vedantic perspective. Why Does the World Exist? Philosopher and writer Jim Holt follows this question toward three possible answers. Why Does the Universe Exist and Other Things We Cannot Know. Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? Cleveland Plain Dealer. Holt's book is very thought provoking and very clearly written with an occasional touch of humor. Hawking's latest comments go beyond those laid out in his 2010 book, The Grand Design, in which he asserted that there is no need for a creator to explain the existence of the universe. After all, some basic physics suggests that you and the rest of the universe are overwhelmingly unlikely to exist. Part of this is my fault: I forced myself through the equally terrible Assholes: A Theory last year and should know by now that navel-gazing logic-heavy philosophical books based around thought experiments are not my cup of tea. All told, Why Does the World Exist? Start by marking “Why Does the World Exist? Perhaps all possible universes have existed from the start, including one that contains nothing. Taking the thought to heart, he gave himself the task of talking to a succession of experts--particle physicists, theologians, philosophers, cosmologists, mystics, and a great writer, heavy thinkers all--who he hoped would prove. Time spent with an old friend. Some things are better reasoned through from first principles, and I think the universe is definitely one of those things. – why the universe exists, or why there is something rather than nothing [1, 2]. 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