Applying the concept 'begins to exist' and its associated causal principle to the universe as a whole — where no prior spatiotemporal framework exists — commits a category error identified by Kant as illegitimate extension of the understanding beyond possible experience.

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Beyond possible experience(as used in epistemology): Beyond anything we could ever actually observe, perceive, or interact with—in Kant's view, this is where our knowledge breaks down.
Category error(as used in logic and philosophy of language): A logical mistake where you apply a rule or concept to something it doesn't actually fit, like using a math formula on a poem.
Causal Principle(Used as a foundational premise in deductive cosmological arguments for the existence of God): The general metaphysical principle that every event or contingent thing has a cause, which underlies the deductive cosmological argument
Illegitimate extension of the understanding(as used in Kant's philosophy): Using our thinking abilities in ways they weren't meant for—like trying to understand things that exist beyond what we can actually observe or experience.

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