DDO Olympics Philosophy and Morals: Round 2

R1) Principle of Sufficient Reason"If the principle of ex nihilo nihil fit, from nothing comes nothing, fails to hold in a dimension without space or time then that is reason why we would see an infinite number of universes appearing on top of ours at any given time"This is a somewhat misguided viewpoint.After a universe has been created, there is no longer nothing; there is something. Thus, a universe cannot simply come into being on top of ours, as the conditions necessary for that (absolute nothingness) are no longer there. However, universes CAN potentially be constantly popping up in the nothingness AROUND our universe, causing an infinite number of universes to be in existence at the same time; this is an actual scientific theory known as the Multiverse theory [1]."When asking why did the big bang happen rather than not, we implicitly accept that the big bang had a reason for happening. If we answer that the big bang happened rather than not for no reason at all, then we concede that many more big bangs ought to happen for no reason at all. This does not happen, ergo there is some causal restraint on the big bang."As I have shown, more big bangs ARE probably happening, in accordance with the Multiverse theory; however, it is unreasonable to believe that they would be interfering with our own univere's existence.....R2) Oscillating Universe Cosmology"He explicitly states that big bangs and big crunches are brought about by gravity, however gravity did not exist before the first big bang."False. The Big CRUNCHES are brought about by gravity's pull on the universe once it has gotten too large.The Big Bangs are brought about by the natural tendency of the universe to expand [2]."Each universe under the OUC is contingent on the existence of the last. The OUC cannot be self-explanatory for it would require explanation from additional universes ad infinitum"Pro seems to have ignored what I said last round.It is not about the Universes; it is about the matter and energy. The matter/energy is eternal and necessary; the univese is just a form that it takes due to the Big Bangs. One universe's existence isn't contingent upon the last universe's existence; all universes are just forms of one necessary being: the matter/energy, and the changes in form are brought upon by the properties of that matter/energy. ....R3) Quantum PhysicsI am dropping this point, simply because I am unqualified to be discussing the details of quantum physics when physicists devoting their lives to studying it barely understand it themselves.It is unnecessary anyways, because the whole point of me bringing it up was to expand upon two contentions which are undeniable anyways:1) Science is constantly revising our perception of the world; to say that we have already discovered all there is to know about the universe's properties is ignorant.2) We know nothing about the properties of absolute nothingness, as we only have ever experienced existence IN space and time. ....R4) Personal vs. Abstract"...abstract beings such as mathematics and logic cannot interact with the rest of existence. Because they do not have a physical being, they exist separate from space and time, they cannot by chance interact with other existences. Because they lack a mind, they cannot intentionally interact with other existences"I misunderstood the meaning of "abstract", it seems.However, in that case, we have a false dichotomy here. Pro claims that the necessary, first cause must have been either conscious and having physical being (personal) or unconscious and not having physical being (abstract).This completely ignores the obvious third choice of having physical being ("being able to interact with other existences") and being unconscious. I've named the simulataneous causation as an example of such a process in every round, thus far, yet Pro has failed to respond every single time. ....CONCLUSIONSI. If the Oscillating Universe Cosmology holds true, the LCA's premise that the Universe is a contingent being is false (R2)II. The Principle of Sufficient Reason does not have to hold true in a Non-Spaciotemporal existence, so even if the Universe is contingent, it does not need a necessary external cause (R1, R3)III. The necessary external cause of a contingent Universe does not need to be personal (i.e. God) (R4) The LCA is completely unsound on every level. Thanks to Pro for a very fun and challenging debate! SOURCES:[1] http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu...'s%20mutliverse.html[2] http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu...