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Full Idea
The historical honour of having first raised the question "Why is there something rather than nothing?" belongs to Leibniz.
Gist of Idea
Leibniz first asked 'why is there something rather than nothing?'
Source
report of Gottfried Leibniz (On the Ultimate Origination of Things [1697]) by Dale Jacquette - Ontology Ch.3
Book Ref
Jacquette,Dale: 'Ontology' [Acumen 2002], p.89
A Reaction
I presume that people before Leibniz may well have had the thought, but not bothered to even articulate it, because there seemed nothing to say by way of answer, other than some reference to the inscrutable will of God.
Related Idea
Idea 5062 First: there must be reasons; Second: why anything at all?; Third: why this? [Leibniz]