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Single Idea 5699

[from 'On the Nature of the Universe' by Lucretius, in 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / a. Cosmological Proof ]

Full Idea

If the matter in things had not been everlasting, everything by now would have gone back to nothing, and the things we see would be the product of rebirth out of nothing.

Gist of Idea

If matter wasn't everlasting, everything would have disappeared by now

Source

Lucretius (On the Nature of the Universe [c.60 BCE], I.544)

Book Reference

Lucretius: 'On the Nature of the Universe', ed/tr. Latham,Ronald [Penguin 1951], p.43


A Reaction

See Idea 1431, which is Aquinas's Third Way of proving God. Aquinas thinks there must be a necessary being outside of the system, but Lucretius thinks there must be some necessary existence within the system (as Hume had suggested).

Related Idea