Existence Quote by Thomas Nagel
““Are there any alternatives? Well, there is the hypothesis that this universe is not unique, but that all possible universes exist, and we find ourselves, not surprisingly, in one that contains life. But that is a cop-out, which dispenses with the attempt to explain anything. And without the hypothesis of multiple universes, the observation that if life hadn't come into existence we wouldn't be here has no significance. One doesn't show that something doesn't require explanation by pointing out that it is a condition of one's existence. If I ask for an explanation of the fact that the air pressure in the transcontinental jet is close to that at sea level, it is no answer to point out that if it weren't, I'd be dead.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Problem of Explanation” in The Philosophical Review, 1970
The author argues that invoking multiple universes to explain fine-tuning avoids genuine explanation, and that anthropic reasoning is insufficient.
In simple terms: Multiple universes don’t solve the explanation problem.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper causal accounts.
Themes
philosophy
cosmology
explanation
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- theoretical physics
- philosophical inquiry
Key Concepts
anthropic principle
multiverse
causality
Questions to Reflect On
- What would count as a satisfactory explanation?
- Is anthropic reasoning ever sufficient?
A Different Perspective
The multiverse hypothesis may itself need justification.
![“[The building of the transcontinental railway] was something truly earth-shaking and, whether or not there had been a dime in it for me, sooner or later I would have been out on the grade with my cameras.” quote by William Henry Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa7/william-henry-jackson-63863_building_the-building-of-the-transcontinental-rai_2490681.jpg)
