--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, if you believe that the universe is…" description: "\"“Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary, but is governed by definite laws, you ultimately have to combine the partial theories into a c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg" --- # Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary… ![“Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary, but is governed by definite laws, you ultimately have to combine the partial theories into a complete unified theory that will describe everything in the universe.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg) > ““Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary, but is governed by definite laws, you ultimately have to combine the partial theories into a complete unified theory that will describe everything in the universe.”” [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that if the universe follows definite laws, we must integrate partial theories into one all‑encompassing theory. **In simple terms:** If the universe follows laws, we need one theory that explains everything. Key Takeaway Seek a unified explanation of nature. Themes science philosophy unification knowledge curiosity Mood inquisitive optimistic thoughtful Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - research labs - academic curricula - public outreach - policy making Key Concepts theory of everything fundamental physics reductionism Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports a single unified theory? - How do we handle anomalies? A Different Perspective Combining theories may oversimplify complex phenomena. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“It turns out to be very difficult to devise a theory to describe the universe all in one go. 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Instead, 'M' theory predicts that a great many universes were created out of nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/according-to-m-theory-ours-is-not-the-only-universe-instead-m-theory/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [If we ever do find a complete theory of the universe, it would be a great triumph of human reason but it wouldn't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-we-ever-do-find-a-complete-theory-of-the-universe-it-would-be-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/even-if-there-is-only-one-possible-unified-theory-it-is-just-a-set-of/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. 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I cannot imagine a consistent theory of the universe that ignores consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-linde/the-universe-and-the-observer-exist-as-a-pair-i-cannot-imagine-a/) Andrei Linde ## More by Stephen Hawking > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. 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Science will win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/there-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-religion-which-is-based-on/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-the-eighteenth-century-philosophers-considered-the-whole-of-human/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [A model is a good model if first it interprets a wide range of observations in terms of a simple and elegant model, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-model-is-a-good-model-if-first-it-interprets-a-wide-range-of/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Empedocles noticed that if you cover the neck before you immerse it, a clepsydra does not fill. He reasoned that something invisible must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/empedocles-noticed-that-if-you-cover-the-neck-before-you-immerse-it-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-hope-i-have-helped-to-raise-the-profile-of-science-and-to-show-that/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) [Explore all 601 Stephen Hawking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## More Theory Universe quotes > [“The mass starts into a million suns; Earths round each sun with quick explosions burst, And second planets issue from the first. \[The first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmus-darwin/the-mass-starts-into-a-million-suns-earths-round-each-sun-with-quick/) [Erasmus Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erasmus-darwin/) > [The whole theory of the universe is directed unerringly to one single individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/the-whole-theory-of-the-universe-is-directed-unerringly-to-one-single/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [The universe and the observer exist as a pair. I cannot imagine a consistent theory of the universe that ignores consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-linde/the-universe-and-the-observer-exist-as-a-pair-i-cannot-imagine-a/) Andrei Linde > [“ His Theory of the Universe seems to have been, that it consisted solely of a multitude of objects which could be weighed, numbered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wilson/his-theory-of-the-universe-seems-to-have-been-that-it-consisted/) [George Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wilson/) > [“It turns out to be very difficult to devise a theory to describe the universe all in one go. Instead, we break the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/it-turns-out-to-be-very-difficult-to-devise-a-theory-to-describe-the/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [If we ever do find a complete theory of the universe, it would be a great triumph of human reason but it wouldn't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-we-ever-do-find-a-complete-theory-of-the-universe-it-would-be-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [One theory is that the universe came from nothing. i.e. perhaps bubble-universes collided, as in a bubble bath, and gave birth to the universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/one-theory-is-that-the-universe-came-from-nothing-i-e-perhaps-bubble/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [What good is a theory of how the universe works if it’s a series of tensor equations that, even when understood, come nowhere tangential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-good-is-a-theory-of-how-the-universe-works-if-it-s-a-series-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We don't have a solid theory of how the universe originated, but that doesn't mean we have to invoke a deity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-guth/we-don-t-have-a-solid-theory-of-how-the-universe-originated-but-that/) [Alan Guth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-guth/) > [So long as we use a certain language, all questions that we can ask will have to be formulated in it and will thereby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/so-long-as-we-use-a-certain-language-all-questions-that-we-can-ask/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [By means of microscopic observation and astronomical projection the lotus flower can become the foundation for an entire theory of the universe and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/by-means-of-microscopic-observation-and-astronomical-projection-the/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“You didn't simply deny the existence of a thing because it didn't fit into your theory of the universe; the existence of the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pseudonymous-bosch/you-didn-t-simply-deny-the-existence-of-a-thing-because-it-didn-t-fit/) [Pseudonymous Bosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pseudonymous-bosch/) > [According to 'M' theory, ours is not the only universe. Instead, 'M' theory predicts that a great many universes were created out of nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/according-to-m-theory-ours-is-not-the-only-universe-instead-m-theory/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [A theory of the universe that states: If anyone finds out what the universe is for, it will disappear and be replaced by something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/a-theory-of-the-universe-that-states-if-anyone-finds-out-what-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [No theory of the universe can be satisfactory which does not adequately account for the phenomena of life, especially in that richest form which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnett-hillman-streeter/no-theory-of-the-universe-can-be-satisfactory-which-does-not/) Burnett Hillman Streeter Browse all 17 Theory Universe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary, but is governed by definite laws, you ultimately have to combine the partial theories into a complete unified theory that will describe everything in the universe.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Hawking" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is-not-arbitrary-but-is-governed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Theory Universe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is-not-arbitrary-but-is-governed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/stephen-hawking-389_theory-universe_now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is_307055.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now, if you believe that the universe is not arbitrary, but is governed by definite laws, you ultimately…” — Stephen Hawking", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stephen Hawking", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Now, if you believe that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is-not-arbitrary-but-is-governed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/now-if-you-believe-that-the-universe-is-not-arbitrary-but-is-governed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```