Q&A: The Principle of Sufficient Reason
The Principle of Sufficient Reason
Question
Rabbi, good evening. I don’t really understand the principle of sufficient reason, and I’d be glad if the Rabbi could help me… What I haven’t really understood is what the difference is between the principle of sufficient reason and the principle of causality—what is the difference between a reason and a cause? What other reason could there be for something’s existence besides a cause?
Answer
I explained this in the notebooks. A sufficient reason is needed even for something that always existed. A cause is needed only for something that came into being at some point. For example, the laws of nature of the world. Even if we assume they always existed, their particular character still requires some reason. Why are they specifically like this and not otherwise?