How Can There Be Something Rather Than Nothing?

The question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” is not a question requiring an ordinary explanation. The question is not asking why one thing exists and not another thing, but rather why anything exists at all. Most attempts to give an explanation for this question fail because they rely upon either a set of entities, principles, or possibilities in relation to which an explanation can stand or a set of laws under which an explanation must function when in fact this question calls into question all such things. This paper will explore the failings of causal, necessary, and logical explanation when asked for an explanation concerning existence in general.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-01-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18135277
Primary Topic
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

How Can There Be Something Rather Than Nothing?

Njume Kraai Njume Njume
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
article

How Can There Be Something Rather Than Nothing?

Njume Kraai Njume Njume
article en

Abstract

The question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” is not a question requiring an ordinary explanation. The question is not asking why one thing exists and not another thing, but rather why anything exists at all. Most attempts to give an explanation for this question fail because they rely upon either a set of entities, principles, or possibilities in relation to which an explanation can stand or a set of laws under which an explanation must function when in fact this question calls into question all such things. This paper will explore the failings of causal, necessary, and logical explanation when asked for an explanation concerning existence in general.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
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How Can There Be Something Rather Than Nothing? — Njume Kraai Njume Njume · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS