Does everything that begins to exist have a cause?

Does everything that begins to exist have a cause?

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Anyone know?

We can't be sure if ANYTHING has a cause, so I'd say no.

So is it magic that there is anything?

Will this help get more answers?

Why? The whole point of your question is shaped by your mind and your standards. Are you sure everything that exists can be judged by that?

Right. I'm not sure I can trust the mind of a monkey.

Everything has a use OP. Defining its purpose it up to the user. Therefore yes everything has a purpose always so it’s always had one. Wether it was made for that purpose is totally situational.

Does everything have a cause? Not does everything have a purpose.

more help

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Gonna drop a wall of text

>TLDR: there is no chance, only cause and effect

that Law pervades the Universe; that nothing happens by Chance; that Chance is merely a
term indicating cause existing but not recognized or perceived; that phenomena is
continuous, without break or exception.
The Principle of Cause and Effect underlies all scientific thought, ancient and modern,
and was enunciated by the Hermetic Teachers in the earliest days. While many and varied
disputes between the many schools of thought have since arisen, these disputes have been
principally upon the details of the operations of the Principle, and still more often upon the
meaning of certain words. The underlying Principle of Cause and Effect has been accepted
as correct by practically all the thinkers of the world worthy of the name. To think otherwise
would be to take the phenomena of the universe from the domain of Law and Order, and to
relegate it to the control of the imaginary something which men have called “Chance.”

A little consideration will show anyone that there is in reality no such thing as pure
Chance. Webster defines the word 'Chance” as follows: “A supposed agent or mode of
activity other than a force, law or purpose; the operation or activity of such agent; the
supposed effect of such an agent; a happening; fortuity; casualty, etc.” But a little
consideration will show you that there can be no such agent as “Chance,” in the sense of
something outside of Law–something outside of Cause and Effect. How could there be a
something acting in the phenomenal universe, independent of the laws, order, and continuity
of the latter? Such a something would be entirely independent of the orderly trend of the
universe, and therefore superior to it. We can imagine nothing outside of THE ALL being
outside of the Law, and that only because THE ALL is the LAW in itself. There is no room in
the universe for a something outside of and independent of Law. The existence of such a
Something would render all Natural Laws ineffective, and would plunge the universe into
chaotic disorder and lawlessness.

A careful examination will show that what we call “Chance” is merely an expression
relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive; causes that we cannot
understand. The word Chance is derived from a word meaning “to fall” (as the falling of
dice), the idea being that the fall of the dice (and many other happenings) are merely a
“happening” unrelated to any cause. And this is the sense in which the term is generally
employed. But when the matter is closely examined, it is seen that there is no chance
whatsoever about the fall of the dice. Each time a die falls, and displays a certain number, it
obeys a law as infallible as that which governs the revolution of the planets around the sun.
Back of the fall of the die are causes, or chains of causes, running back further than the
mind can follow. The position of the die in the box; the amount of muscular energy expended
in the throw; the condition of the table, etc., etc., all are causes, the effect of which may be
seen. But back of these seen causes there are chains of unseen preceding causes, all of
which had a bearing upon the number of the die which fell uppermost.

If a die be cast a great number of times, it will be found that the numbers shown will be
about equal, that is, there will be an equal number of one-spot, two-spot, etc., coming
uppermost. Toss a penny in the air, and it may come down either “heads” or “tails”; but make
a sufficient number of tosses, and the heads and tails will about even up. This is the
operation of the law of average. But both the average and the single toss come under the
Law of Cause and Effect, and if we were able to examine into the preceding causes, it would be clearly seen that it was simply impossible for the die to fall other than it did, under the
same circumstances and at the same time. Given the same causes, the same results will
follow. There is always a “cause” and a “because” to every event. Nothing ever “happens”
without a cause, or rather a chain of causes.

thank you

Some confusion has arisen in the minds of persons considering this Principle, from the
fact that they were unable to explain how one thing could cause another thing–that is, be the
“creator” of the second thing. As a matter of fact, no “thing” ever causes or “creates” another
“thing.” Cause and Effect deals merely with events.” An “event” is “that which comes, arrives
or happens, as a result or consequent of some preceding event.” No event “creates” another
event, but is merely a preceding link in the great orderly chain of events flowing from the
creative energy of THE ALL. There is a continuity between all events precedent, consequent
and subsequent. There is a relation existing between everything that has gone before, and
everything that follows. A stone is dislodged from a mountain side and crashes through a
roof of a cottage in the valley below. At first sight we regard this as a chance effect, but when
we examine the matter we find a great chain of causes behind it. In the first place there was
the rain which softened the earth supporting the stone and which allowed it to fall; then back
of that was the influence of the sun, other rains, etc., which gradually disintegrated the piece
of rock from a larger piece; then there were the causes which led to the formation of the
mountain, and its upheaval by convulsions of nature, and so on ad infinitum. Then we might
follow up the causes behind the rain, etc. Then we might consider the existence of the roof.
In short, we would soon find ourselves involved in a mesh of cause and effect, from which
we would soon strive to extricate ourselves.

Just as a man has two parents, and four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents, and
sixteen great-great-grandparents, and so on until when, say, forty generations are calculated
the numbers of ancestors run into many millions–so it is with the number of causes behind
even the most trifling event or phenomena, such as the passage of a tiny speck of soot
before your eye. It is not an easy matter to trace the bit of soot back to the early period of the
world's history when it formed a part of a massive tree-trunk, which was afterward converted
into coal, and so on, until as the speck of soot it now passes before your vision on its way to
other adventures. And a mighty chain of events, causes and effects, brought it to its present
condition, and the latter is but one of the chain of events which will go to produce other
events hundreds of years from now. One of the series of events arising from the tiny bit of
soot was the writing of these lines, which caused the typesetter to perform certain work; the
proofreader to do likewise; and which will arouse certain thoughts in your mind, and that of
others, which in turn will affect others, and so on, and on, and on, beyond the ability of man
to think further–and all from the passage of a tiny bit of soot, all of which shows the relativity
and association of things, and the further fact that “-there is no great; there is no small; in the
mind that causeth all.”

Stop to think a moment. If a certain man had not met a certain maid, away back in the
dim period of the Stone Age–you who are now reading these lines would not now be here.
And if, perhaps, the same couple had failed to meet, we who now write these lines would not
now be here. And the very act of writing, on our part, and the act of reading, on yours, will
affect not only the respective lives of yourself and ourselves, but will also have a direct, or
indirect, affect upon many other people now living and who will live in the ages to come.
Every thought we think, every act we perform, has its direct and indirect results which fit into
the great chain of Cause and Effect.

various reasons. Among the many reasons, is the principal one that neither side of the
controversy is entirely right–in fact, both sides are partially right, according to the Hermetic
Teachings. The Principle of Polarity shows that both are but Half-Truths–the opposing poles
of Truth. The Teachings are that a man may be both Free and yet bound by Necessity, depending upon the meaning of the terms, and the height of Truth from which the matter is
examined. The ancient writers express the matter thus: “The further the creation is from the
Centre, the more it is bound; the nearer the Centre it reaches, the nearer Free is it.”

The majority of people are more or less the slaves of heredity, environment, etc., and
manifest very little Freedom. They are swayed by the opinions, customs and thoughts of the
outside world, and also by their emotions, feelings, moods, etc. They manifest no Mastery,
worthy of the name. They indignantly repudiate this assertion, saying, “Why, I certainly am
free to act and do as I please–I do just what I want to do,” but they fail to explain whence
arise the “want to” and “as I please.” What makes them “want to” do one thing in preference
to another; what makes them “please” to do this, and not do that? Is there no “because” to
their “pleasing” and “wanting”? The Master can change these “pleases” and “wants” into
others at the opposite end of the mental pole. He is able to “Will to will,” instead of to will
because some feeling, mood, emotion, or environmental suggestion arouses a tendency or
desire within him so to do.

The majority of people are carried along like the falling stone, obedient to environment,
outside influences and internal moods, desires, etc., not to speak of the desires and wills of
others stronger than themselves, heredity, environment, and suggestion, carrying them
along without resistence on their part, or the exercise of the Will. Moved like the pawns on
the checkerboard of life, they play their parts and are laid aside after the game is over. But
the Masters, knowing the rules of the game, rise above the plane of material life, and placing
themselves in touch with the higher powers of their nature, dominate their own moods,
characters, qualities, and polarity, as well as the environment surrounding them and thus
become Movers in the game, instead of Pawns–Causes instead of Effects. The Masters do
not escape the Causation of the higher planes, but fall in with the higher laws, and thus
master circumstances on the lower plane. They thus form a conscious part of the Law,
instead of being mere blind instruments. While they Serve on the Higher Planes, they Rule
on the Material Plane.

But, on higher and on lower, the Law is always in operation. There is no such things as
Chance. The blind goddess has been abolished by Reason. We are able to see now, with
eyes made clear by knowledge, that everything is governed by Universal Law–that the
infinite number of laws are but manifestations of the One Great Law–the LAW which is THE
ALL. It is true indeed that not a sparrow drops unnoticed by the Mind of THE ALL–that even
the hairs on our head are numbered–as the scriptures have said. There is nothing outside of
Law; nothing that happens contrary to it. And yet, do not make the mistake of supposing that
Man is but a blind automaton–far from that. The Hermetic Teachings are that Man may use
Law to overcome laws, and that the higher will always prevail against the lower, until at last
he has reached the stage in which he seeks refuge in the LAW itself, and laughs the
phenomenal laws to scorn. Are you able to grasp the inner meaning of this?

Sorry for spam, but this will answer what you seek

Aquinas, please go.

Ah yes. Nice answer. So everything does have a cause. And it's not magic.

Can there be an infinite regress of causes?

Why is it that faggots who are trying to be philosophical and prove the existence of god always resort to the ways of st. thomas aquinas?

shits 800 years old and has been refuted by everybody and their gay stepson, christian and non-christian alike a bazillion times over.

please stop.

>There is no such things as
>Chanc
Quantum mechanics would like a word with you

>Can there be an infinite regress of causes?

"Every thought we think, every act we perform, has its direct and indirect results which fit into
the great chain of Cause and Effect."

I dare say infinite, yes.
Everything can be traced back to when The All first thought of the universe (thus creating it). But, what was the cause of The All? Is it a part of the law of cause and effect? Or did something "create" The All through cause and effect?

Considering Quantum Mechanics was founded off Hermetic Philosophy (as with all sciences), I beg to differ.

What we view as chance is merely an expression relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive; causes that we cannot understand.

To say that chance works outside of the universal laws is extremely arrogant

>alike a bazillion times over.

Can you please provide a source?

>Quantum mechanics would like a word with you

How so? Can you elaborate?

eh, I guess if you're really interested you could start by reading the wikipedia page

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ways_(Aquinas)

>I dare say infinite, yes.

I think I get where you are coming from. But you mean there can be no infinite regress of causes, right?

>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ways_(Aquinas)
Ah thanks. Could you provide a source for the refutation?

Thanks for helping.

I have to say that from a human perspective it is impossible to know.

There could be, and there couldn't be. Both are just as right and just as wrong.

Personally, I do believe there is a single source of all causes, but I'm not sure what that means exactly (due to limitation of human perception)

I'm saying that quantum mechanics introduces an element of chance in the universe. In older models of our understanding of physics, if you knew every single variable in existence, you could predict the next step, in a actually quite simple, if A then B type logic. Quantum mechanics fucks with causality by being truly random. Maybe that's just physics not being fully understood, and maybe I'm wrong, that'd be neat, but it seems that the universe has elements of chance.

I will just write this one more time to clarify

>What we view as chance is merely an expression relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive; causes that we cannot understand.

Just because you don't UNDERSTAND what the cause is, does not mean that it is 'random' or 'chance'. The cause is still there.

I do understand what you are saying though, but it is fundamentally flawed due to arrogance (I dont understand the cause, so it must be random)

I see. Logically, I can't see how an infinite regress of causes is possible. At least not in the A theory of time.

Thanks for your input.

I see where you are coming from. Thanks for your input. I think you got it right when you said

>maybe I'm wrong

Sounds about right to me.

I like to think so. I. Mean, I'm not crazy religious, but I do believe in God. I don't believe the Bible to be an accurate book and also believe myself to be logical and scientific. This creates a contradiction in my beliefs. I say this because I hate to believe we are beings due to sheer happenstance.

For something to begin, it is to exist. To exist, it should by all definitions serve a purpose from toothbrushes with the purpose of cleaning your teeth, or a vehicle's purpose of providing transportation. These coukd be considered their causes.

Human beings exist to explore, create, and destroy. That is our purpose. That is our cause.

Just my opinion.

From this perspective we will never know. We are not meant to know. Thus is the human condition.

The A-theory of time is an example of this human perception, if there were no humans to observe time, A-theory would not exist. It only exists because of how 'we' view reality.

With the B-theory of time, an infinite regress of causes is possible, but not definite.

Interesting.

>don't believe the Bible to be an accurate book
Why not?

>logical and scientific. This creates a contradiction
What is the contradiction?

>That is our purpose. That is our cause.
Is that logical?

I like dominoes

>From this perspective we will never know.
I think you are right. We may never know if the form of a proof. But can we have a reasonable idea based on the evidence that we have?

>The A-theory
Seems most reasonable to me because that is what I experience and everyone else. But we can't know in the form of a proof.

>>don't believe the Bible to be an accurate book
>Why not?
not him, but maybe because it was written 2500 years ago and is revised every 5 years or so

>revised every 5 years or so

Really? Have you compared the oldest manuscripts with the text we have now? What do the scholars in the field say?

to be honest, i don't know or care.

>to be honest, i don't know or care.

Really? Then why would you make a claim that you can't back up?