ARGUMENTS FOR GOD'S EXISTENCE Flashcards
What is the focus of Aquinas’s Cosmological Argument?
To explain the key elements and evaluate its effectiveness in proving God’s existence.
How many arguments for God’s existence did Aquinas suggest?
Five arguments known as The Five Ways.
What does cosmology study?
The universe.
What is the third way in Aquinas’s Cosmological Argument?
Observation that all things in the universe are contingent.
What does the term ‘contingent’ refer to in the context of Aquinas’s argument?
Things that are moved, changed, and caused, which need not exist.
What conclusion does Aquinas draw from the observation of contingent things?
Something must exist necessarily.
What is the implication of everything being contingent?
The universe must depend on something outside of it.
What does the Cosmological Argument suggest about the external reason for existence?
It must itself be necessary.
What is the first premise (P1) of Aquinas’s Cosmological Argument?
Everything can exist or not-exist; everything in the natural world is contingent.
What is the second premise (P2) of Aquinas’s Cosmological Argument?
If everything is contingent, then at some time there would be nothing.
What does premise (P3) state about nothing coming from nothing?
If there was once nothing, then nothing could have come from nothing.
What conclusion (C1) follows from the premises regarding necessary existence?
Something must exist necessarily, otherwise nothing would now exist.
What does premise (P4) state about necessary beings?
Everything necessary must either be caused or uncaused.
What does premise (P5) indicate about the series of necessary beings?
The series cannot be infinite, or there would be no explanation of that series.
What is the conclusion (C2) regarding uncaused beings?
There must be some uncaused being which exists of its own necessity.
What does conclusion (C3) suggest about our understanding of God?
By this, we all understand God.
Is the Cosmological Argument more, less, or equally persuasive compared to the Ontological Argument?
This is a point for discussion.
What type of argument is the Cosmological Argument?
It is a posteriori argument.
What should be evaluated regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Cosmological Argument?
Consider its effectiveness compared to the Ontological Argument.
What is the significance of Aristotle in relation to Aquinas’s argument?
Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle’s concept of the Prime Mover.
What does the term ‘necessary existence’ refer to?
Existence that does not depend on anything else.
What was one of Russell’s key criticisms of the Cosmological Argument?
Aquinas is guilty of the fallacy of composition
What example does Russell use to illustrate the fallacy of composition?
‘Just because every man has a mother does not mean that the human race has a mother.’
According to Russell, what can be said about a necessary being?
There can be no such thing as a necessary being; existence is not a predicate.
How does Russell describe the universe?
A ‘brute fact’ that cannot be explained
What is one of Hume’s criticisms regarding existence?
Existence has to be proved; statements should be synthetic.
What does Hume suggest about the universe’s necessity?
The universe could be necessary, using Ockham’s Razor.
What is the concept of infinite regress in Hume’s argument?
There could be infinite regress in causation.
If God is the cause, what question does Hume raise?
What caused God?
What does Hume argue regarding the nature of God?
Even if God was necessary, he may not be the God of Classical Theism.
What could our perception of cause and effect be, according to Hume?
An illusion
What key characteristics define the Design Argument?
It is ‘a posteriori’, inductive and argues that God’s existence is synthetic.
‘A posteriori’ means it is based on experience; ‘inductive’ refers to drawing general conclusions from specific instances.
What analogy does Paley use to explain his Design Argument?
If we found a watch on a heath, we would observe complexity, purpose, and regularity, leading us to assume design and hence a designer.
This analogy suggests that just as a watch has a designer, so does nature.
What attributes of nature does Paley highlight to support his argument?
- Purpose (e.g., birds have wings to fly)
- Regularity (e.g., planets orbit in regular motion)
These attributes suggest that nature, like a watch, indicates the presence of a designer.
What conclusion does Paley reach from his Design Argument?
The world has a designer - God.
This conclusion is based on the perceived complexity and order in the natural world.
Is ‘God exists’ a synthetic or analytic statement?
Synthetic.
A synthetic statement is one that requires empirical evidence for validation.
What is the alternative name for the Design Argument?
The Teleological Argument.
‘Teleological’ derives from ‘telos’, meaning purpose or design.
What year did David Hume write his arguments?
1779 (before Paley’s design argument)
This year is significant in understanding the historical context of Hume’s philosophical contributions.
What were David Hume’s arguments?
- Might not be the God of CT
- He compared the world to a vegetable rather than a machine
- Could have just been random particles colliding and eventually forming order
Other potential arguments?
- It can be argued that the world is imperfect, suggesting an imperfect creator
- The world is flawed
