Can the Universe Be the First Cause?
A deeper look into the nature of existence — and why matter itself can't be the uncaused cause.
In my previous post, I explored the dilemma of infinite regress and why the idea of a first cause — something uncaused, immaterial, and necessary — offers a coherent solution. But an obvious follow-up question arises: what if the universe itself is that first cause?
At first glance, this seems like a plausible proposal. Maybe the universe — the totality of matter and energy — simply exists without a cause. But this view breaks down under closer examination.
The problem is rooted in the distinction between what philosophers call necessary and contingent beings. A necessary being exists by the very necessity of its own nature; it cannot not exist. A contingent being, by contrast, might exist or might not — its existence depends on something else.
To clarify this distinction, consider the example of a square. A square necessarily has four sides — it cannot be a square without them. That’s a necessary property. But the color of a square — whether it’s blue or green — is not essential. These are accidental properties, not part of the square’s nature.
Now, let’s consider the material universe. What does it mean to be “matter”? Does existence belong to the very nature of matter, in the way four-sidedness belongs to the nature of a square?
The answer seems to be no. There is nothing about atoms, quarks, or fields that demands their existence. Matter doesn't seem to possess the kind of necessity we attribute to abstract truths (like 2+2=4) or logical laws. The universe — like stars, planets, trees, or people — could have failed to exist. Its existence is not self-explanatory.
So if we say the universe is the first cause, we are left with a contradiction: we are calling something contingent — something that does not have to exist — the source of all that exists. In effect, we are claiming that something that could have not existed does exist, and is the reason for its own existence. That’s a philosophical dead end.
The principle of sufficient reason — that everything that exists has an explanation for its existence — pushes us beyond the universe to something that must exist. Something not dependent on anything else. Something that is not material, because matter is contingent. And something that grounds all other being. This, again, is what many have called God.