Can everything be explained (whether scientifically or not)?
Here's why one might think that the answer to the latter question is "no."
- Nothing can explain itself. [explanandum ≠ explanans]
- If X explains Y, then one could ask what explains X.
- If Z explains X, then one could ask what explains Z.
- ...and so on, ad infinitum.
- The chain of explanation is either infinite or finite.
- If the chain of explanation is infinite, then there must be something that remains unexplained (since we cannot provide explanations ad infinitum).
- If the chain of explanation is finite, then it stops at some arbitrary point, thus leaving every subsequent point in the chain of explanation dependent on a point that cannot explain its successor.
- (Therefore) Either way, there must be something that remains unexplained.
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