So I’ve stumbled across the grandest philosophical problem of our era, and possibly, of all time.
Is the universe finite or infinite?
Presuming either, beginning with a finite universe, then causality makes sense. The universe “began” and may “end”. This idea of beginnings and endings is ‘Teleology’. It is a belief, system of faith. People believe the world began and will end. People believe life began and will end. But do people have proof? People who claim beginning to life and death, always use a predetermined line of logic. Because you are conscious, subjectively, then unconsciousness means death. So does this then mean consciousness represents all life? It does not. Because I counter-argue that many organisms are alive, without being conscious. So consciousness, study of metaphysics and phenomenology, is what the average human falsely presumes as the essence of life. But take this line of reasoning further, and you can then determine it leads to the idea that some type of “eternal consciousness” represents the whole universe. So the rise and fall of consciousness reflects the beginning and ending of the universe.
Consciousness (phenomenology) causes Teleology, makes it a necessary presumption.
Now presume an infinite universe, consciousness is merely the essence of subjective delusion. People convince themselves that they are special, different, and unique individuals. Are they? Are you, unique? No, you’re not. Because all lifeforms, like all matter, are predetermined by absolute, universal, Natural Laws. Things we cannot escape or break “free” from, like gravity. You may then counter-argue “but astronauts are free from gravity”. This is not totally true. They are free from earth’s gravity. Since force, gravity, energy, and power are relative measures. Power relative to what? The gravity of earth compared to the gravity of a human. The gravity of the qualitatively strong against the quantitatively weak. Existence represents a conflict of all forces, all against all. And so, there is no “beginning” nor “end” to an infinite universe. If you accept this premise as true, teleology as false, then what are the consequences.
Look at existence from two different directions of the paradigm. Look from finity, accept beginning and end, accept creationism and god, accept “The Big Bang Theory”. Look from infinity, reject birth and death, reject divinity, reject teleology any beginning and end. So now you realize the grand difference.
It represents the difference between ‘Object’ v ‘Subject’.
It represents the difference between ‘Body’ v ‘Mind’.
It represents the difference between ‘Female’ v ‘Male’.
Simple dichotomies, to help the average human understand the basic element of philosophy. If you can’t get this far, then philosophy simply is not for you.