Of Universes, Tables, and Toenails

A reader writes:

How can it be said that God created the universe if the universe already had an existence in the Mind of God before "creation?" Isn’t the universe therefore an emanation of God?

Let’s deal with the first question first.

The answer is that the universe DIDN’T exist prior to its creation by God. When we speak analogically of the universe "existing" in God’s mind apart from creation (I prefer "apart from" to "before" since God is outside of time) we are speaking analogically. We aren’t speaking of the same thing as existence but only something analogous to existence.

Specifically: There is a difference between something existing in the exterior world and a mind knowing that it could be created.

Consider: Suppose I think about building a table. Before I do so, there is an idea in my head of the table that I want to build. It has certain characteristics. Let’s say that it’s made of oak, is two feet high, five feet long, three feet wide, and has four legs.

Just to be unnecessarily mathematical, we’ll call these properties T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 (figure out which correspond to which if you’re really interested).

So before I build the table, we can say that

There is an entity, J, who knows that he could build a table, T, with properties T1-T5.

Where J is your humble author.

Now at this point (before I build the table, you’ll remember) the table does not exist. I just happen to know that I COULD build it.

In fact, we’re at that moment RIGHT NOW, because I COULD build the table.

I just haven’t.

So right now the table does not exist. What does exist is ME, who has a particular piece of knowledge concerning my table-buliding abilities.

If you want to speak analogically of the table existing "in my mind," okay, but you’re using an analogy. What really exists is me. Not the table. To exist in the sense that counts (i.e., the sense in which I could stack coasters and coffetable books and assorted knicknacks on it) the table needs to exist OBJECTIVELY or OUTSIDE OF MY MIND. That kind of existence it AIN’T GOT as long as I haven’t built it.

In the same way, apart from creation (you’ll notice that I switched from "before" to "apart from" since I switched from talking about me–who exists IN time–to talking about God–who exists OUTSIDE OF time), God knows that he could create the universe. The difference he is omniscient and so can specify the universe he might create in infinite detail (whereas I got bored after only five characteristics). He also will come up with the universe ex nihilo (from nothing), where as I would have to go down to Dixieline to buy the lumber.

So, to be unnecessarily mathematical again, we can say that apart from creation,

There is an entity, G, who knows that he could create a universe, U, with characteristics U1-U(infinity).

Where G is God rather than me. (Please bear that last point in mind.)

Unless G chooses to act on his knowledge that he could create U and actually creates it then U does not exist.

You might be able to speak ANALOGICALLY of it existing "in God’s mind," but the universe doesn’t exist in the sense that counts (i.e., the sense in which God could stack coasters and coffetable books and assorted knicknacks on it). In other words, it doesn’t exist OBJECTIVELY or OUTSIDE GOD’S MIND.

If God doesn’t choose to create an objective universe then the only thing that exists (in the objective sense) is God himself, who happens to know that he could create the universe but didn’t do so.

In fact, since God is omniscient and knows everything, he also knows EVERY POSSIBLE universe that he could create–and in infinite detail.

We know (or seem to know) that he did create THIS universe. Whether he created any other universes, we don’t know. Maybe we’ll find out someday.

So, to sum up: Coffee tables don’t exist until you build them, and neither do universes.

(Also, in case you’re wondering, you can’t get what you need to build a universe at Dixieline, though they might be able to give you what you need to build a coffeetable.)

Now for the second question:

I’m afraid that the question is a little vague, but I’ll try to answer it as best I can.

Something would be an emanation from God if he took something out of himself and used that to fashion the thing that he made.

For example, suppose that I decided that I wanted to start a toenail clipping collection composed entirely out of MY toenails. (In point of fact, I DON’T want to start such a collection–my toenail clippings go into the trash as soon as they’re severed from my toes–but it’s a relevant example.)

If–instead of throwing my toenail clippings into the trash–I started collecting them then my toenail clipping collection might in some sense be said to be an emanation from me in some sense.

But notice how this is different than the case of the table.

For the table, characteristic T1 was that it be made out of oak, and since my body is not composed of oak (though some of it is composed of toenails), the table would NOT BE an emanation from me because it was not made from me.

In the same way, the universe was created ex nihilo (out of nothing–God didn’t go down to Dixieline, remember? I can’t stress that enough that they just don’t have what you need to build a universe down at Dixieline) and thus was NOT created out of God, meaning that it was not an emanation from him.

So: To sum up again: Toenail clipping collections might be emanations from you, but tables and universes are not.

(Also: Don’t expect Dixieline to have toenail clippings that you can buy, either.)

Hope this helps!

Feel free to e-mail Plotinus a link to all this if Gmail has added a temporal addressing function yet!

P.S.

Here’s another disproof of the idea that the universe is an emanation from God:

1. The universe has rocks in it.
2. God has never had rocks in his head.
3. Therefore, the universe is not an emanation from God. QED.

Take it for what it’s worth.