Does chance exist?

With nothingness overthrown, Roger clings to the second pillar: the universe would be the work of chance and its laws. But what, after all, is chance?

— We will speak of the soul in another conversation. — says Tom — Answer me one question...

— Which one? — asked Roger.

— Who, or what, created the universe?

Roger takes his glass, drinks a sip of wine, and states:

— The universe is the work of chance and of the laws that gave rise to it and govern it.

Tom replies, saying:

— My friend Roger, the work of chance! That is another pillar of atheism which is also easily destroyed.

— Tom, explain to me your point of view as to why the universe is not the work of chance.

— Yes, Roger, the universe cannot be the work of chance.

— Why? — asks Roger — How can you affirm that?

— When someone affirms that a certain thing is the work of chance, does that mean that this thing is truly the fruit of chance? Or is it rather that the one who affirms it does not understand the reason or the motive why that thing happened? Would that person have an understanding of everything related to what caused that thing to happen? It is once again the same principle, my dear Roger. How can we speak of the existence of chance if we do not understand everything about everything? Nothingness and chance are words, they are expressions that reveal our ignorance of something.

Roger was, once again, surprised by his friend's reasoning. For a moment he was unable to articulate any reply. It took him some time to process Tom's answer. After a while, he says:

— Yes, we often call chance certain events that we do not know or do not understand. But are there not situations where it truly is the work of chance?

Tom, who already expected Roger's question, says:

— It is the same principle as nothingness, Roger! Chance is an expression of language that people use to refer to an unknown cause of an event.

Excerpt from the work The Great Discovery, by César Manuel Malainho de Oliveira.
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