QuoteProject
One does not have to appeal to God to set the initial conditions for the creation of the universe, but if one does He would have to act through the laws of physics.
Stephen Hawking
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that the universe can be understood through physics without invoking a deity, although if one does, that deity must work within natural laws.

Stephen Hawking's quote emphasizes the idea that the origins of the universe can be explained through scientific principles and physical laws, rather than needing a divine explanation. It reflects a perspective that encourages reliance on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning while acknowledging the philosophical implications of invoking a higher power in the discussion of cosmic creation.

Themes

UniversePhysicsCreationScienceGod

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on cosmology, this quote could be used to illustrate the intersection of science and faith.

More from Stephen Hawking

We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.
Stephen HawkingRead
I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
Stephen HawkingRead
It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious.
Stephen HawkingRead
I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.
Stephen HawkingRead
The world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic but technological-technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science. Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein: TIME's Person of the Century.
Stephen HawkingRead
In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.
Stephen HawkingRead

Similar quotes

I have devoted my whole life to the study of Nature, and yet a single sentence may express all that I have done. I have shown that there is a correspondence between the succession of Fishes in geological times and the different stages of their growth in the egg,-this is all. It chanced to be a result that was found to apply to other groups and has led to other conclusions of a like nature.
Louis AgassizRead
If Providence has created the stars and the planets, man has called the cannonball into existence.
Jules VerneRead
Dr. Kertesz mentioned to me a case known to him of a farmer who had developed prosopagnosia and in consequence could no longer distinguish (the faces of) his cows, and of another such patient, an attendant in a Natural History Museum, who mistook his own reflection for the diorama of an ape
Oliver SacksRead
Yes, genes are important for understanding our behavior. Incredibly important - after all, they code for every protein pertinent to brain function, endocrinology, etc., etc. But the regulation of genes is often more interesting than the genes themselves, and it's the environment that regulates genes.
Robert SapolskyRead
If the Sun exploded, we wouldn't know about it for 8 minutes and 20 seconds. Light and gravity take that long to reach us. Then we would vaporize.
Neil Degrasse TysonRead
Still, it is an error to argue in front of your data. You find yourself insensibly twisting them round to fit your theories.
Arthur Conan DoyleRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.