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Why is there something rather than nothing? A probabilistic answer examined

Abstract:
Peter van Inwagen has given an answer to the question ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’. His answer is: Because there being nothing is as improbable as anything can be: it has probability 0. Here I shall examine his argument for this answer and I shall argue that it does not work because no good reasons have been given for two of the argument’s premises and that the conclusion of the argument does not constitute an answer to the question van Inwagen wanted to answer
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1017/S0031819118000189

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
HUMS
Department:
Philosophy Faculty
Oxford college:
Oriel College
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Journal:
Philosophy More from this journal
Volume:
93
Issue:
4
Pages:
505-521
Publication date:
2018-06-29
Acceptance date:
2018-03-19
DOI:
EISSN:
1469-817X
ISSN:
0031-8191


Pubs id:
pubs:844222
UUID:
uuid:d15935e7-4ba3-4d9c-9273-0a102751b7e1
Local pid:
pubs:844222
Source identifiers:
844222
Deposit date:
2018-04-25
ARK identifier:

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