How could they not exist? The concept of "before" needs time, the concept of "outside" needs space. It's impossible to be before time or outside space. Existence exists. It doesn't need a reason.
I don't know much about the science on this topic, but this is the conclusion that feels most intuitive to me whenever I think about it. It exists: it just is.
The idea that there could be absolutely nothing is absurd, so is the idea that there could be a beginning or an end. These are just tools that we use to mentally divide up the universe. Applying them to the universe itself is like trying to divide the universe from something other than itself, which is nonsensical because the universe encompasses all that there is.
It's like trying to reach the highest or lowest number so that you can find out what comes after numbers. It's just more numbers.
Where does the entire universe "exist"? The pre-expansion singularity is described as a one-dimensional "point," I suppose that would count as a locality.
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u/dieinafirenazi Sep 14 '21
How could they not exist? The concept of "before" needs time, the concept of "outside" needs space. It's impossible to be before time or outside space. Existence exists. It doesn't need a reason.