From Nothing to Existence: quantum vacuum in light of the fundamentality of existence

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate of Philosophy, Shahid Motahari College, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Philosophy, Shahid Motahari College, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

The emergence of the universe from "Nothing" continues to be one of the most challenging questions in both physics and philosophy. Lawrence Krauss, in his theory, identifies the quantum vacuum with "Nothing" and attempts to explain the Cosmogenesis without invoking a metaphysical cause. This study, drawing on the Fundamentality of Existence (FOE) in Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy (al-hikmah al-muta‘āliyah), shows that the quantum vacuum possesses an ontological reality rather than being absolute Nothingness. According to Sadrian ontology, the quantum vacuum may be considered the weakest level of Existence within the gradational hierarchy of Existence (However, one may also argue—based on its proximity to immateriality and potentiality—that it paradoxically resembles a higher ontological intensity closer to Divine Simplicity. This dual reading remains open to further exploration). Furthermore, this paper critically examines Krauss’s assertion that physical laws alone suffice to account for the Cosmogenesis. From the perspective of the Fundamentality of Existence, physical laws are merely descriptive and contingent rather than self-sufficient causes. Thus, the Sadrian framework provides a deeper metaphysical foundation, revealing the limitations of Krauss’s scientific explanation and affirming that the cosmogenesis ultimately necessitates a cause beyond physical laws.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Burtt, E. A. (1923). The metaphysical foundations of modern physical science. Harcourt, Brace & Company.
Carroll, S. M. (2016). The big picture: On the origins of life, meaning, and the universe itself. Oneworld Publications.
Casimir, H. B. (1948). On the attraction between two perfectly conducting plates. Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wet., 51, 793.
Copan, P., & Craig, W. L. (Eds.). (2017). The kalām cosmological argument: Philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past. Bloomsbury Academic.
Feser, E. (2008). The last superstition: A refutation of the new atheism. St. Augustine’s Press.
Feynman, R. P., Hibbs, A. R., & Styer, D. F. (2010). Quantum mechanics and path integrals. Courier Corporation.
Guth, A. (2007). Eternal inflation and its implications. Journal of High Energy Physics. 2, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.hep-th/0702178
Guth, A. H. (1997). The inflationary Universe: The quest for a new theory of cosmic origins. Perseus Books.
Krauss, L. (2012). A Universe from Nothing. Free Press.
Lahiji, M. J. b. M. S. (2007). Sharh Risalat Al-Masha’ir. Bustan Kitab, Publication of the Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom. (Arabic)
Milonni, W. (1994). The Quantum Vacuum: An introduction to quantum electrodynamics. Academic Press.
Peskin, M. E., & Schroeder, D. V. (1995). An introduction to quantum field theory. Addison-Wesley.
Shirazi, M. b. I. (1981). Al-hikmah al-mutaʿāliyyah fī al-asfār al-ʿaqlīyyah al-arbaʿah (Vol. 1-9). Dār Iḥyā' al-Turāth al-ʿArabī. (Arabic)
Swinburne, R. (2004). The Existence of God (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Weinberg, S. (1995). The Quantum Theory of Fields (Vol. 1). Cambridge University Press.
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image
Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 20, Issue 54 - Serial Number 54
Articles
February 2026
Pages 107-124

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics