How do we know anything really exists?

Of the possible explanations of reality, we can rule out the possibility that reality is an illusion. This leaves only one remaining possibility–something or someone must be eternal.

Four Possible Explanations of Reality

As discussed in a previous blog, there are four possible ways to understand reality.

1. Nothing exists now. Reality is nothing more than an illusion.
2. Something produced itself out of nothing. (This is a logical impossibility – See this post)
3. The material universe has always existed.
4. A transcendent being has always existed.

Either nothing exists now (everything is an illusion) or there is something or someone who has always existed. We already eliminated the possibility that if there was ever nothing, something could exist now. That is an irrational possibility. Nothing cannot produce something.

Doubting reality requires thought, and thought requires a thinker

But we haven’t yet eliminated the possibility that everything we perceive is just an illusion. Perhaps we exist only in some sort of dream world. Everything around us is unreal, just as we are. If we could be certain of just one thing, we could prove that at least something exists. And if that is true, we can eliminate the possibility that everything is an illusion. But how can we be certain of anything?

An era of skepticism following the breakdown of authority produced by the Reformation. Scholars were asking how could we be certain about anything. So, the philosopher Renee Descartes (1596-1650 AD) pursued a rigorous investigation to discover what he could know with certainty. He decided to doubt everything he could to see if he could rationally deduce anything with absolute certainty.

He discovered that the one thing he couldn’t doubt was that he was doubting. Even to doubt that you’re doubting proves the point that you’re doubting. Then, he looked for any necessary inferences he could draw from his certainty that he was doubting. He concluded that to doubt requires thinking since doubting is a form, or an effect, of thought. And every effect must have a cause according to a law of logic, namely the law of causality.

Then he went one step further to make the necessary inference that the act of thinking requires a thinker. So, his conclusion was as follows: I doubt, therefore I think; I think therefore I am. He knew this to be true with as much certainty as 2 + 2 = 4. Thus, we can logically conclude the following from Descartes’ philosophical inquiry:

1. Doubt as a Cognitive Process: Doubt is an intellectual activity that involves questioning the validity or truth of something. This process requires cognitive engagement, which is a hallmark of conscious thought.
2. Existence of the Thinker: For doubt to occur, there must be an entity capable of thinking. This thinker is the one who experiences doubt, reflecting on the nature of reality. The very act of doubting presupposes the existence of a conscious being.
3. Cogito, Ergo Sum: This famous philosophical statement by René Descartes, “I think, therefore I am,” encapsulates the idea that the act of thinking is proof of one’s existence. If one is capable of doubt, then one must exist as a thinking entity.
4. Illusion vs. Reality: The theory that everything is an illusion suggests that our perceptions and experiences are not real. However, the act of doubting this illusion itself requires a real process of thought, which cannot be an illusion. Thus, the presence of doubt confirms the existence of a reality where thought occurs.
5. Conclusion: While perceptions may be questioned, the existence of a thinker who doubts cannot be dismissed as an illusion. The necessity of a thinker to engage in doubt provides a foundational reality that counters the theory of universal illusion.

With this proof of self-consciousness, there is absolute proof that something exists; Therefore, since something exists now, something must have always existed—something is eternal. I haven’t yet shown whether matter or some transcendent essence other than matter, namely the one we call God, is that which is eternal. But we have narrowed the possibilities down to two. I’ll discuss these possibilities in the next post.

Discover more about God and our relationship to Him

For a listing of other posts about God’s existence and His nature, go to our Posts Directory web page. These posts are listed by major topic for your convenience.

But, if you’re now ready to know what your relationship is before God, Ask yourself two very important questions. First, are you sure that you’ll go to heaven when you die? Secondly, are you certain why God should let you into heaven? If you don’t know for sure, you can settle that matter today. Visit my post, How to Begin Your Life Over Again and you’ll know where and how you’ll spend eternity.

And for crystal clear YouTube presentations of the gospel message from several trusted sources, click here.