When you say the laws of physics are natural phenomena, you are really saying that they exist but you don't know why or how they came into being in the first place.
The latest idea (now the equally unlikely big-bang theory is in doubt) is that the universe (and therefore the laws of physics) has always been there. But this is just as much a ‘useful yet unproveable slight-of-hand’ as anyone claiming that these things must have been created at some point by an external Force or Being.
The latter view is just as likely as the former and both are ultimately beyond our grasp to prove definitively one way or t'other.
When you say that a new civilization would not replicate the precise theistic beliefs we have, you are right, at least I suspect you are. But to that I ask, so what?
This simply means that we are incapable, however high a pedestal we hubristically put ourselves upon, of comprehending fully what the God/External Force/External Being is.
This seems a reasonable hypothesis since any External Force/Being that is capable of creating the universe containing the laws of physics and time etc is likely to be advanced beyond our understanding to the same extent as our abilities and achievements are to an ant or a mouse.
The plethora of ideas about what God is are likely to be the manifestation of our attempts to comprehend the (to us) largely incomprehensible.
Of course we desperately want to fully comprehend, and in our arrogance may tell ourselves we do but I think we can only see small glimpses.
I realise that it's much easier to either pretend we have the full and complete answer or the opposite extreme, to say there is nothing there to be found.
I can see that if your view of life the universe and everything is that unless you can see, touch, measure or weigh it. Unless it fits with a mathematical formula or a law of physics it doesn't, more it CAN'T exist; that if we can't find it, it can't be there, then you will not see any merit in my arguments.
But it’s a very narrow and limited way of looking at the universe's existence and I am sorry for that.
I haven't seen what the person said to whom you are responding with the above, but in my view you encapsulate very well the contrasting views we as humans have towards our existence, the universe, the how, the why and by what/whom. Your perspective on it chimes with mine.
ReplyDelete