--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We could call order by the name of God…" description: "\"We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There's not much personal about the laws of physics.\" — Stephen Hawking" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg" --- # We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an… ![“We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There's not much personal about the laws of physics.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg) > “We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There's not much personal about the laws of physics.” [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. Science describes the universe without invoking a personal deity; laws operate impartially. **In simple terms:** Physics is impersonal, not divine. Key Takeaway Accept the universe’s indifferent nature. Themes science philosophy religion Mood thoughtful curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic lectures - personal reflection - ethical debates Key Concepts cosmology determinism atheism Questions to Reflect On - Do you find comfort in a non‑personal cosmos? - How does this view affect moral responsibility? A Different Perspective Human desire for personal meaning can clash with impersonal laws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnostic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [God Impersonal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-impersonal-3363656/) [God Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-personal-364254/) [Impersonal God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impersonal-god-429963/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws of physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-of-physics/) [Laws Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-physics/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Order God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order-god-502111/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [God is the name people give to the reason we are here. But I think that reason is the laws of physics rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/god-is-the-name-people-give-to-the-reason-we-are-here-but-i-think/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [It’s really important to understand that God is not an impersonal force. Even though He is invisible, God is personal and He has all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-luhrmann/it-s-really-important-to-understand-that-god-is-not-an-impersonal/) [Tanya Luhrmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-luhrmann/) > [We shouldn't be surprised that conditions in the universe are suitable for life, but this is not evidence that the universe was designed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-shouldn-t-be-surprised-that-conditions-in-the-universe-are/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [One does not have to appeal to God to set the initial conditions for the creation of the universe, but if one does He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/one-does-not-have-to-appeal-to-god-to-set-the-initial-conditions-for/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The universe and the Laws of Physics seem to have been specifically designed for us. If any one of about 40 physical qualities had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-universe-and-the-laws-of-physics-seem-to-have-been-specifically/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [In A Brief History Of Time I used the word "God" like Einstein did as a shorthand for the laws of physics. However, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-a-brief-history-of-time-i-used-the-word-god-like-einstein-did-as-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [...wishing there was a Personal God in all this impersonal matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/wishing-there-was-a-personal-god-in-all-this-impersonal-matter/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [It is rather fantastic to realize that the laws of physics can describe how everything was created in a random quantum fluctuation out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-guth/it-is-rather-fantastic-to-realize-that-the-laws-of-physics-can/) [Alan Guth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-guth/) > [There are two worlds we live in: a material world, bound by the laws of physics, and the world inside our mind, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-are-two-worlds-we-live-in-a-material-world-bound-by-the-laws-of/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [American laws don't work, but at least the laws of physics might work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/american-laws-don-t-work-but-at-least-the-laws-of-physics-might-work/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-physicist-is-like-someone-who-s-watching-people-playing-chess-and/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [When I began my career as a cosmologist some twenty years ago, I was a convinced atheist. I never in my wildest dreams imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-j-tipler/when-i-began-my-career-as-a-cosmologist-some-twenty-years-ago-i-was-a/) [Frank J. Tipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-j-tipler/) > [The smallest thought could not exist unless the entire universe and the laws of physics were in some way encouraging it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/the-smallest-thought-could-not-exist-unless-the-entire-universe-and/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [The laws of physics should allow us to arrange things molecule by molecule and even atom by atom, and at some point it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-merkle/the-laws-of-physics-should-allow-us-to-arrange-things-molecule-by/) [Ralph Merkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-merkle/) > [Anyone who believes that the laws of physics are mere social conventions is invited to try transgressing those conventions from the windows of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sokal/anyone-who-believes-that-the-laws-of-physics-are-mere-social/) [Alan Sokal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sokal/) ## 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. This leads me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-the-simplest-explanation-is-there-is-no-god-no-one-created/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-paralympic-games-is-about-transforming-our-perception-of-the-world/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-increase-of-disorder-or-entropy-is-what-distinguishes-the-past/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/most-sets-of-values-would-give-rise-to-universes-that-although-they/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. 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 Agnostic quotes > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [I'm actually, for the most part, a complete agnostic politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/i-m-actually-for-the-most-part-a-complete-agnostic-politically/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [Even when I was saying I was Agnostic and trying to figure out my thoughts, I felt God was allowing me to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/even-when-i-was-saying-i-was-agnostic-and-trying-to-figure-out-my/) [Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If a humanist or an atheist or an agnostic says, "We'll bake you a pie," we can go right into the kitchen and bake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-a-humanist-or-an-atheist-or-an-agnostic-says-we-ll-bake-you-a-pie/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I'm agnostic because I went through the usual process of parents insisting you go to church, and yet they didn't. So there's me, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-m-agnostic-because-i-went-through-the-usual-process-of-parents/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [Intellect, at its best, can make you agnostic. Being theist or atheist is still a matter of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/intellect-at-its-best-can-make-you-agnostic-being-theist-or-atheist/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [To be agnostic is to be open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-agnostic-is-to-be-open-minded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm agnostic. By definition, I'm unsure of what to believe in, but I'm also borderline-capable of believing in anything and everything, or nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/i-m-agnostic-by-definition-i-m-unsure-of-what-to-believe-in-but-i-m/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) [Browse all 492 Agnostic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There's not much personal about the laws of physics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Hawking" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-but-it-would-be-an-impersonal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agnostic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-but-it-would-be-an-impersonal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/stephen-hawking-389_agnostic_we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-b_738216.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There's not much personal about…” — 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": "We could call order by the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-but-it-would-be-an-impersonal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-could-call-order-by-the-name-of-god-but-it-would-be-an-impersonal/#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 } } ] } ```