--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'What is the purpose of the universe?' is…" description: "\"'What is the purpose of the universe?' is a silly question.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/richard-dawkins-115_physics_what-is-the-purpose-of-the-universe-is-a_1352776.jpg" --- # 'What is the purpose of the universe?' is a silly question. ![“'What is the purpose of the universe?' is a silly question.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/richard-dawkins-115_physics_what-is-the-purpose-of-the-universe-is-a_1352776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/richard-dawkins-115_physics_what-is-the-purpose-of-the-universe-is-a_1352776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/richard-dawkins-115_physics_what-is-the-purpose-of-the-universe-is-a_1352776.jpg) > “'What is the purpose of the universe?' is a silly question.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning the universe's purpose reveals the limits of human understanding and the value of scientific inquiry. **In simple terms:** Purpose of universe is unknowable. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity, not certainty. Themes science philosophy humility Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic debate - personal reflection - teaching - public speaking - media criticism Key Concepts existentialism skepticism cosmology Questions to Reflect On - What does seeking purpose reveal about us? - Can meaning be created without a cosmic plan? A Different Perspective Science cannot answer metaphysical purpose definitively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-universe-706677/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Silly Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-question-2098295/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-silly-791165/) ## Related quotes > [The Universe was a silly place at best...but the least likely explanation for it was the no-explanation of random chance, the conceit that abstract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-universe-was-a-silly-place-at-best-but-the-least-likely/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [It's not a silly question if you can't answer it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/it-s-not-a-silly-question-if-you-can-t-answer-it/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“to read or not to read... that is a silly question”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlequin/to-read-or-not-to-read-that-is-a-silly-question/) [Harlequin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlequin/) > [I don't think there is a hidden purpose to the universe that you have to puzzle out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-hidden-purpose-to-the-universe-that-you-have/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [Well, you ask a silly question, and you get a silly answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/well-you-ask-a-silly-question-and-you-get-a-silly-answer/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Did ever woman, since the creation of the world, interrupt a man with such a silly question?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/did-ever-woman-since-the-creation-of-the-world-interrupt-a-man-with/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [Because of the security reasons for one thing and, second, my wife doesn't like to have her hair blown about. Have you got another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prescott/because-of-the-security-reasons-for-one-thing-and-second-my-wife/) [John Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prescott/) > [Oh, I've never been asked a silly question in my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/oh-i-ve-never-been-asked-a-silly-question-in-my-entire-life/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The 'silly question' is the first intimation of some totally novel development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-silly-question-is-the-first-intimation-of-some-totally-novel/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The silly question is the first intimation of some totally new development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-silly-question-is-the-first-intimation-of-some-totally-new/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [It sometimes seems as if curbing entropy is our quixotic purpose in this universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/it-sometimes-seems-as-if-curbing-entropy-is-our-quixotic-purpose-in/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Reality is incredibly larger, infinitely more exciting, than the flesh and blood vehicle we travel in here. If you read science fiction, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-roddenberry/reality-is-incredibly-larger-infinitely-more-exciting-than-the-flesh/) [Gene Roddenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-roddenberry/) > [Know that the difficulties which lead to confusion in the question what is the purpose of the Universe or of any of its parts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/know-that-the-difficulties-which-lead-to-confusion-in-the-question/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [Your inner purpose is an essential part of the purpose of the whole, the universe and its emerging intelligence. Your outer purpose can change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/your-inner-purpose-is-an-essential-part-of-the-purpose-of-the-whole/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [If the purpose of the universe was to create humans then the cosmos was embarrassingly inefficient about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-the-purpose-of-the-universe-was-to-create-humans-then-the-cosmos/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. 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And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Physics quotes > [“The universe is not punishing you or blessing you. The universe is simply responding to the vibrational attitude that you are emitting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-hicks/the-universe-is-not-punishing-you-or-blessing-you-the-universe-is/) [Abraham Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-hicks/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) [A.A. 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The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [“the new theory of matter has entirely over thrown the old conception of the unchanging atoms, and they are now regarded to be composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-new-theory-of-matter-has-entirely-over-thrown-the-old-conception/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [In this other dimension I feel tension surrounding my every move. You and I are together at last. We are captive in our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-elektricity/in-this-other-dimension-i-feel-tension-surrounding-my-every-move-you/) [London Elektricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-elektricity/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. 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