[bloopbloop10000]

Is there a name for this line of thought? I’ve run into it a few times and find it compelling.

[scythe]

It's generally called pantheism, although there has been dispute [1] that Spinoza's account was truly pantheism. Similar ideas exist in Hindu philosophy, and some argue the analogy is deep [2].

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism

2: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=454...

[hcrisp]

Check out "cosmological argument"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_argument

[analog31]

To me it seems equivalent to the "first cause" argument of Thomas Aquinas.

[ThalesX]

You can also check out Aristotle's primum movens (prime mover)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmoved_mover

[tjader]

Deism?