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    Grünbaum's principle of spontaneous existence holds that ... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The Big Bang can be considered an event (or an initial state) about which one may inquire why it existed.

    Grünbaum's principle of spontaneous existence holds that the default explanatory posture for any state of affairs is that it simply obtains, absent specific deformation from a prior state.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Parsimony favors minimal causal chains: invoking prior states without necessity multiplies explanatory burdens unnecessarily.
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    • 2.Fundamental physics suggests no universal requirement that all states derive from prior conditions—quantum indeterminacy exemplifies this.
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    • 3.Explanatory asymmetry must terminate somewhere; accepting brute facts about some states avoids infinite regress.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
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    • 1.The principle conflates 'no explanation needed' with 'no causal explanation exists'—a state can simply obtain *because* of prior conditions.
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    • 2.Default explanatory practice in science consistently seeks prior causes; reversing this burden requires strong justification Grünbaum lacks.
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    • 3.If all states 'simply obtain' by default, the principle becomes unfalsifiable and uninformative rather than genuinely explanatory.
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    Key Terms

    Deformation(as used in mathematics and philosophy of mathematics)
    A change or variation in the shape or structure of something, while keeping its essential nature intact.
    Grünbaum(as a philosopher being critiqued)
    Adolf Grünbaum was a 20th-century philosopher of science who wrote about time, space, and scientific methodology; here he's being referenced for a specific argument or theory about how to set up a particular problem.
    explanatory posture(the stance we adopt toward explanation)
    The default assumption or starting position we take when trying to explain why something is the way it is.
    obtains(States of affairs obtain or fail to obtain, just as propositions are true or false.)
    The relation a state of affairs bears to reality when it is realized; analogous to truth for propositions.
    principle of spontaneous existence(Grünbaum's main claim)
    The idea that things can just exist or happen on their own without needing a reason, unless something clearly caused them to change.
    state of affairs(Chisholm 1970)
    A genus of which both events and facts are treated as species, used to capture their close ontological kinship without fully identifying them.

    Connections

    1 topic

    Natural Theology1 linked

    Related

    Default explanatory practice in science consistently seeks prior causes; reversi...Explanatory asymmetry must terminate somewhere; accepting brute facts about some...Fundamental physics suggests no universal requirement that all states derive fro...If all states 'simply obtain' by default, the principle becomes unfalsifiable an...

    Details

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    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    +3 moreShow less
    Parsimony favors minimal causal chains: invoking prior states without necessity ...The Big Bang can be considered an event (or an initial state) about which one ma...The principle conflates 'no explanation needed' with 'no causal explanation exis...