Primacy of Existence

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The Primacy of Existence is an axiom of Objectivism that states: that reality is what it is, regardless of perception or desire (wishing does not make it so). The mind grasps the universe, it does not create it. In other words, Existence has primacy over consciousness. (Contrast to the Primacy of Consciousness.)

The Primacy of Existence is also the main and strongest reason for Objectivism's position of atheism in regards to religion, especially against Christian claims of a "creator god". The notion that the only thing in existence before the universe was a conscious entity is contradicted and easily disproved by the axiom, since a consciousness could not be aware without an existence to be aware of.

The Primacy of Existence can also be summed up by the expressions: "Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed" or "Wishing won't make it so."

Further Reading

Metaphysics Topics
Axioms: Existence, Consciousness, IdentityCorollary: Causality, Primacy of Existence
Reality: Primacy of Existence, Existents, the Metaphysically Given versus the Man Made