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Accounts Quote by John Stuart Mill

“If the universe had a beginning, its beginning, by the very condition of the cases, was supernatural; the laws of Nature cannot account for their own origin.” quote by John Stuart Mill
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“If the universe had a beginning, its beginning, by the very condition of the cases, was supernatural; the laws of Nature cannot account for their own origin.”

John Stuart Mill

About This Quote

Source Essay: "A System of Logic", 1843

The argument claims that natural laws cannot explain their own origin, implying a supernatural cause.

In simple terms: Natural laws need a supernatural explanation for their start.

Key Takeaway

Question the limits of scientific explanations.

Themes

philosophy science metaphysics

Mood

skeptical inquisitive

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

  • academic debate
  • theology discussions
  • science education
  • philosophical inquiry

Key Concepts

causality cosmology epistemology

Questions to Reflect On

  • Can science ever fully account for the universe's origin?
  • What evidence would challenge this view?
A Different Perspective

Science may eventually explain origins without supernatural assumptions.

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