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1.2.4.1 The Whole UniverseSome scientists and others talk about the Big Bang (discussed in Chapter 2.2 Cosmology) as though it was the beginning of the universe. They should refer to it as the beginning of the known universe. Scientists have speculated about what might have happened before the Big Bang: according to some string theorists, perhaps it started when two branes collided. I don't know what it means either. Scientists and others also talk of multiple universes, or the multiverse. To the extent that these explain the nature of our universe this is OK. Similarly talk of other dimensions, for instance in string theory, may turn out to be useful. But the universe we are referring to in this Chapter on Metaphysics is everything. To avoid ambiguity we can use the term “Whole Universe” to mean everything, including the multiverse (if it exists) and other dimensions (if they exist), what happened before the Big Bang (prior to or outside the known universe) as well as any God(s) that are immanent in the universe (if they exist). Something we can call the noumenon may exist behind the phenomenon we perceive. It is conceivable that God(s) could exist and be part of the natural world. It is conceivable that idealism (everything consists of mental events) or dualism (there are mental events as well as physical events) be true, and that these also reflect the natural world. We summarise this issue as follows: 1.2.4.1 By Occam’s razor we accept that the Whole Universe includes everything that exists, including the proposed multiverse, perhaps other dimensions, and perhaps even some of the immanent kinds of Gods if they exist. more (later)
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