The Impossibility of an Infinite Regression of Past Events
Hello one and all,
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OK, enough housekeeping…let’s get down to business.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the impossibility of an infinite number of past events…which would be necessary for a universe that has always existed… and would eliminate the need for a cause (i.e. God). I had promised to discuss it later…so here goes!
This is going to be one of those abstract discussions that some of you will fall asleep reading, so if you find yourself drifting off, come back next week for something more interesting as I’ll be bringing Cosmo Kramer into the discussion…
What I was referring to a couple weeks ago was an infinite regress…today’s events are caused by yesterday’s events , which were caused by the day before’s, etc, etc, into an infinite past.
The problem is: The idea of an infinite number is just that…an idea. It’s not something that exists in reality.
We’ve all learned something about it in grade school math class, and often assume infinity is as “real” as the numbers one or two or 500 (which are abstract realities and a bit different than what we usually consider to be ‘real’…but that’s a discussion for another day).
What I’m pointing out is that the concept of an infinite number of things (such as past events in the history of the universe) is impossible in real life. Where it is quite possible to have a set of one or two or a trillion billion million things, an infinite set is impossible.
David Hilbert, considered by some to be the greatest mathematician of the twentieth century, stated in “On the Infinite”, in Philosophy of Mathematics (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice-Hall, 1964), pp. 139, 141:
“The infinite is nowhere to be found in reality. it neither exists in nature nor provides a legitimate basis for rational thought. The role that remains for the infinite to play is solely that of an idea.”
Mathematicians realize that an actual infinite number of things leads to self-contradictions.
What is infinity plus infinity? Infinity times two? …Infinity? How can you double the number of something, but still end up with the same amount? This also hold true with other mathematical functions and real life scenarios. There are numerous logical inconsistencies with the idea of a real infinite set.
There is also the dilemma that if there was an infinite number of subsequent causes and events in the past, there is no way we could have actually reached the present…we would have had to traverse an infinite number of events to get to today…and you cannot traverse an infinite number of events.
Another way to put it is that a series of infinite past events would have to come to an end in the present to get to today…but a series of infinite events cannot come to an end…so could not have reached the present.
The universe would have had to start somewhere in order to reach today so we could even be having this discussion about it at all.
[It is true that the future is a potential infinite, but a potential infinite isn't an actual one. An actual infinite can never be reached. There will always be one more potential event, but the history that has transpired until the present moment will always be finite.]
What I just outlined is an argument for a beginning point of the universe based on philosophy and logic. It is part of what’s known as the Kalam Cosmological Argument and can be seen in much better detail by Dr. William Craig. There are also lots of scientific arguments based on observing our universe that point to the same conclusion. (I plan on talking about some of these next time)
…So the question is: ‘Who cares?’
Answer: Anyone interested in their place in the universe.
If the universe ‘began‘, there must have been something or someone that was the ‘beginner‘. Though some will say they believe it, for me it just doesn’t make any kind of logical sense that the universe popped into being uncaused from absolutely nothing.
These arguments don’t prove the God of the bible of course…but they do indicate that there must have been someone or something that created the universe. (Since I believe it was the God of Christianity, I’ll be referring to this creator as ‘he’.)
I think of it like this:
- If the universe had a creator, maybe that creator had something more in mind than just winding up the whole thing like a clock and letting it go.
- Maybe he wants to communicate with us.
- Maybe he requires something from us…or has something to give us should we seek it out.
- Maybe he has something more in store than just this life.
- If he does, maybe we can do something in this life to make the next life better.
- Maybe it makes sense to try to find answers to some of these questions rather than leave it to chance and hope for the best…
Exploring the best answers to some of these questions is what Rational Faith Online is all about…starting with the most basic question…is there a creator and what is he like?
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Until next time,
Make it a Great Day!
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