is one of the very best popular philosophy books I have ever read. 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. We asked the... "Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?" 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. 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. 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). Holt reminds us philosophy can be fun, too. Philosopher Jim Holt on Nothingness, the God Wars, and His New Book: “I’m a Little Unhinged”, The Philosophers Magazine - The best books of 2012, "Why Does the World Exist? Download Full Why The Universe Exists Book in PDF, EPUB, Mobi and All Ebook Format. Well we exist because we are a part of the world, this world/universe is part of its fellow universes in the multiverse. Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. There was not a single page where I thought to myself ah yes that obviously makes sense, each page elicited a headache. 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 … He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and everything else. Apparently the NYTimes reviewed it well and I can definitely understand why; this book isn't an end in itself or anything, but it really stands out especially compared to similar books that try the same thing and don't do nearly as good a job. I've decided not to finish this book. Sadly, the book sheds no light on the question. Why is there — Okay. The author seems very willing to travel, since he crossed the Atlantic to Paris & London several times. This all-inclusive being does not exist and cannot exist. Be solemn. I am happy to read this kind of musing from authors I already like, but this was my first dip into Holt and, frankly, I have better things to do. : An Existential Detective Story is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. :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? Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published :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? : An Existential Detective Story by Jim Holt "Why Does the World Exist?" 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. We’d love your help. The book was also a 2012 National Book Critics Award finalist for nonfiction. Sidney Morgenbesser, a much-beloved professor of philosophy at Columbia University, renowned for his aphoristic wisdom, was once asked, “Why is there something, rather than nothing?” “If there were nothing,” Morgenbesser immediately replied, “you’d … – why the universe exists, or why there is something rather than nothing [1, 2]. This is the idea that our universe is not the only one in existence. ? Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? Engaging and thoughtful and deftly told (probably all these adjectives are used in the blurbs, but in this case they're accurate). remains the darkest and most enduring of all metaphysical mysteries. Why Does the World Exist? Like most metaphysics surveys, it spent a while grappling with the Christian god but fortunately didn't take long before dismissing the idea (though Holt did it with tact I guess which might help some readers). And it artistically weaves together a personal narrative and quest with a deeply intellectual and highly abstract inquiry. The book was also a 2012 National Book Critics Award finalist for nonfiction. I took a college philosophy class more than two decades ago. Start by marking “Why Does the World Exist? Three cheers for deep thought and wild conjecture! same goes for quark as well. Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. October 11, 2016 by David James. Well it's said that every thing has its reasons, sometimes you can figure it some times you can't. But that's to be expected & doesn't diminish the pleasure of the quest. In other words: Why does the universe exist (and why are we in it)? That was my introduction to the mystery of existence. Or at least I thought it was until I read the book. Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolin's 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. ', which lies in the domain between philosophy and scientific cosmology. 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. The author considers all possible perspectives, a strategy which makes the discussion a bit vague and directionless in my opinion. God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book. He is an atheist. Jocaxian's Trains refutes Especial Relativity: Why Does the World Exist? I wish I'd read Freeman Dyson's review in the New York Review of Books first and saved my time. exist?) As he pieces together a solution--one that sheds new light on the question of God and the meaning of existence--he offers brisk philosophical asides on time and eternity, consciousness, and the arithmetic of nothingness. William James called the question of existence "the darkest in all philosohpy." 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. 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. 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. 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? By Sean Carroll. 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. It is philosophically engaging and highly informative. Rock. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Wonderful book. July 16th 2012 10 mysteries of the universe: Why does anything exist at all? is an intellectual quest of one the most intriguing philosophical questions, "Why Does the World Exist". Why did he write it? 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. He questions the idea that there is a world that encompasses everything like a container life, the universe, and ev Theoretical physicist Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe, explains how that's possible in the new book, The Hidden Reality. (Why else would "Why Does the World Exist?" Gives me a fresh perspective on that tired "turtles all the way down" story a certain kind of person loves to reference: in the context of this book, whose author clearly doesn't think women have anything of value (well, anything at all, actually) to contribute to the pressing concerns of humanity, the one woman who gets a mention is one who made a stupid comment to a brilliant man delivering a lecture she obviously didn't understand and thus sealed her legacy as a droll punchline and illustration of the hilarious antics of uneducated plebeians for class acts like the author of this book and his cohorts. Jim Holt is a longtime contributor to the, “Having just enough life to enjoy being dead.”, “In 1921, a New York rabbi asked Einstein if he believed in God. Inconclusive as any such book must be, so don't pick it up expecting one definitive version of an answer. 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 to be one or two or three of those Einsteins shining a light down the path toward the answer. Why, Holt wonders, does the multiverse exist, if the multiverse is the answer to why the world exists? The s. "Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?" Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Another complication in the understanding of time is demonstrated by Lee Smolin's 2013 book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, in which he argues that science does (as the mystics claim) treat time as an illusion. In this highly original new book, the philosopher Markus Gabriel challenges our notion of what exists and what it means to exist. Holt's existential detective story checks off every one of my pet peeves about contemporary mainstream nonfiction. ( CC0) Let the unpacking began. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." Hurray for Jim Holt, who cracks our formulaic stupor with his crisp, jolly new book, Why Does the World Exist? Along the way, Jim Holt also introduces the reader to the philosophy of mathematics, theology, physics, ontology, epistemology, and other subjects.[1][2][5]. by Liveright Publishing Corporation. Thomas believes God's existence, although not self-evident, can be made evident using reasoning drawn from the nature and structure of the world. A comforting balm. 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. "Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?" Holt ponders that most enduring & impossible of questions: why is there something rather than nothing. It's not like there aren't very smart women & non-English or French speaking women & men in the world who might have contributed some interesting thoughts on the subject. Firstly, that there is nothing else to create the universe but itself (because it came from nothing). Jim Holt is an excellent writer who can explain philosophical, scientific and existential themes with skill. professor Max Tegmark explores the possibility that math does not just describe the universe, but makes the universe … The question of being itself, as Updike and Holt agree, can seem profound in one mood, vacuous in another. Why is there something instead of nothing? Already, I've started a list of folk who will find it gift-wrapped from me at the holidays.— Karen R. Long. Midway through the book, however, I began to wonder why all the philosophers, scientists or simply very smart people the author consulted & conversed with were white males & pretty exclusively North American or British (perhaps a few Frenchmen, since the author does journey to Paris a few times & he does at least mention Buddhism at the very end of the book). Its author wrote it. Physicist Lawrence Krauss peddles this message in his new book A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing (Free … The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. 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. But many cosmologists now believe there are other “universes”, and perhaps our universe arose from one of them. "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: Why Does the World Exist? is one of the very best popular philosophy books I have ever read. In Stephen Hawking's final book "Brief Answers to Big Questions," published ... time does not exist. How can people get away with such partial and idiotic arguments, and how can anyone take them seriously. 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. Although not related to my major I wanted an A in that class more than anything. Why Does the World Exist?, By Jim Holt. it was taught by a complete asshole whose only pleasure was ridiculing and tormenting others. in a precise sense, "electron" and "quark" are just names for human convenience, to indicate that they are two different stuff. The New York Review of Books - What Can You Really Know? Why Does the Universe Exist and Other Things We Cannot Know. This is a far more personal and self-disclosing book than I expected, and skates very far, I feared at first, in the direction of one of those concocted "How the Irish Jews Saved The Parthenon, Invented Caller ID, and Inspired Emily Dickinson" sort of books. "National Book Critics Circle Names 2012 Award Finalists", "Review of Jim Holt's Why Does the World Exist? A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang “The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. “Why Does the Universe Exist?” could have used more moments that slyly build to something like awe. I have to assume that an exclusionary principle operated at the level of personal inclination, or disinclination, as it were. 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. The universe shouldn't exist, scientists say after finding bizarre behaviour of anti-matter. Why does the universe exist? Why Does the World Exist? Some things are better reasoned through from first principles, and I think the universe is definitely one of those things. is exceedingly clear and well written. Our best theories predict that all the matter in the universe should have been destroyed as soon as it existed. “The block universe theory says you’re spread out in time, something like the way you’re spread out in space,” Skow says. A fine study of the laws of the universe interrogates what, if anything, came before the Big Bang By then I found that I was rapidly losing interest in a very important question: why does the world exist? Existence, as we know it in this universe, consists of a what, a where and a when. 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? Is very thought provoking and very clearly written why does the universe exist book an occasional touch of humor in other words why! 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