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    The PSR can be satisfied by an infinite regress of contin... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The Principle of Sufficient Reason, understood as 'everything not metaphysically necessary has an explanation in something metaphysically necessary', leads to a logically necessary being

    The PSR can be satisfied by an infinite regress of contingent explanations, none of which requires a necessary terminus (Hume, Dialogues IX).

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.An infinite chain can be self-explanatory as a whole without needing external justification, like a circle needing no point outside itself.
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    • 2.PSR only requires that each item has an explanation; it doesn't stipulate that explanations must terminate in a necessary being.
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    • 3.Infinite regresses are logically coherent in mathematics and physics, so they're coherent explanatory structures for contingent facts.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Explaining why B exists by citing A, and why A exists by citing B (etc. infinitely) provides no answer to why anything exists at all.
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    • 2.If each contingent fact requires prior explanation, an infinite series of contingent facts collectively requires something non-contingent to ground it.
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    • 3.PSR's explanatory principle breaks down if we accept that brute contingent facts need no ultimate justification, rendering the principle vacuous.
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    Natural Theology1 linked

    Related

    An infinite chain can be self-explanatory as a whole without needing external ju...Explaining why B exists by citing A, and why A exists by citing B (etc. infinite...If each contingent fact requires prior explanation, an infinite series of contin...Infinite regresses are logically coherent in mathematics and physics, so they're...
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    PSR only requires that each item has an explanation; it doesn't stipulate that e...PSR's explanatory principle breaks down if we accept that brute contingent facts...The Principle of Sufficient Reason, understood as 'everything not metaphysically...

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