This report is taken from PN Review 220, Volume 41 Number 2, November - December 2014.
From a White Notebook (1)(or: Notes Towards a Discussion of Everything)
1. Hmm. Listing actual All-That-Ises in terms of their inherent probabilities surely ought not to be quite so time-consuming?
2. Yes, well – what else is the actual universe supposed to be like?
3. At the very least, surely the entire Universe must be the cause of any x?
4. Still: if nothing existed, it would no doubt be inaccurate to say that nothing existed. (And certainly that Nothing existed! (But this is indeed much ado about next to nothing.))
5. Anyway, why isn’t there something else, instead of either this or nothing?
6. Presumably that which just happened, could just have happened any way it liked? (Not that it really did like (or, indeed, was like) anything.)
7. Perhaps it all started (or most of it did, or nearly did) when two different sorts of Nothing clashed? (Well, why not? (Or combined?))
8. Nothing can teach us what God is.
9. Yes. Certain types of Nothing(ness) seem to be incommensurable too.
10. Still. 2) Nothing can teach us what God is.
11. Or perhaps the very concept of Nothing existing (and therefore of being something – anything) is itself already a contradiction-in-terms? (Or is this pretty much nothing too?)
12. But let’s see. What is the difference between a non-existent cat and a non-existent dog? (And what do they have ...
2. Yes, well – what else is the actual universe supposed to be like?
3. At the very least, surely the entire Universe must be the cause of any x?
4. Still: if nothing existed, it would no doubt be inaccurate to say that nothing existed. (And certainly that Nothing existed! (But this is indeed much ado about next to nothing.))
5. Anyway, why isn’t there something else, instead of either this or nothing?
6. Presumably that which just happened, could just have happened any way it liked? (Not that it really did like (or, indeed, was like) anything.)
7. Perhaps it all started (or most of it did, or nearly did) when two different sorts of Nothing clashed? (Well, why not? (Or combined?))
8. Nothing can teach us what God is.
9. Yes. Certain types of Nothing(ness) seem to be incommensurable too.
10. Still. 2) Nothing can teach us what God is.
11. Or perhaps the very concept of Nothing existing (and therefore of being something – anything) is itself already a contradiction-in-terms? (Or is this pretty much nothing too?)
12. But let’s see. What is the difference between a non-existent cat and a non-existent dog? (And what do they have ...
The page you have requested is restricted to subscribers only. Please enter your username and password and click on 'Continue'.
If you have forgotten your username and password, please enter the email address you used when you joined. Your login details will then be emailed to the address specified.
If you are not a subscriber and would like to enjoy the 286 issues containing over 11,500 poems, articles, reports, interviews and reviews, why not subscribe to the website today?
If you have forgotten your username and password, please enter the email address you used when you joined. Your login details will then be emailed to the address specified.
If you are not a subscriber and would like to enjoy the 286 issues containing over 11,500 poems, articles, reports, interviews and reviews, why not subscribe to the website today?
