Creation Quote by Jostein Gaarder
““Even though God could create all kinds of things, he could hardly create himself before he had a "self" to create with. So there was only one possibility left: God had always existed. But she had already rejected that possibility! Everything that existed had to have a beginning.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, 1991
The passage argues that if God existed eternally, He could not create Himself without a prior self, leading to a paradox about creation and existence.
In simple terms: Eternal existence creates a paradox of self-creation.
Key Takeaway
Contemplate the limits of logical reasoning.
Themes
philosophy
theology
paradox
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- theological debate
- philosophical study
- personal belief
Key Concepts
existence
creation
logic
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this paradox reveal about human understanding?
- How do you reconcile faith with logical limits?
A Different Perspective
The argument assumes a specific theological framework.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
