Cosmological argument Flashcards

1
Q

what is the notion of the cosmological argument

A

everything we experience in the world is contingent

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2
Q

Who is the thinker behind the principle of sufficient reason

A

Leibniz

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3
Q

what is the principle of sufficient reason

A

need sufficient reason/cause or total explanation

birthday cake analogy is a partial explanation

need something not contingent, self explanatory and necessary

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4
Q

What is Aristotles argument about a prime mover

A

all movements depend on a prime mover

chain of events and a common source for all substances is the beginning of everything, prime mover

eternal substance, exists necessarily, can’t change or decay

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5
Q

what is Aristotle’s argument based on

A

the idea of potentiality and actuality

possibly doing something and the state of it when it’s achieved

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6
Q

what cause is the Prime Mover (Aristotle)

A

the final cause

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7
Q

what does the prime mover attract (Aristotle)

A

everything in the universe is attracted to it

doesn’t change

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8
Q

Why does the prime mover not start things (Aristotle)

A

it’s the originating cause of all motion that sustains the pattern of change from potentiality to actuality by attracting things towards it

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9
Q

who is the prime mover for Aristotle

A

God

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10
Q

what is it called when u argue the opposite of what you are trying to prove (Aristotle)

A

reduction ad absurdum

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11
Q

what is the reduction ad absurdum of Aristotle’s argument

A

if the universe did not have a cause, there would be no cause and effect

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12
Q

what argument builds on Aristotle’s argument and how

A

Kalam argument

If something is not its own reason for existing, must have been a self-causing necessary cause

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13
Q

what is a weakness of Aristotle’s and the Kalam argument to do with cause

A

supposes a cause that can come into existence without a cause

argument is based on the idea that the universe cannot exist without a cause so how can the necessary cause exist without a cause?

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14
Q

what is a weakness of Aristotle’s and the Kalam argument to do with science

A

science could also not yet have discovered a cause

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15
Q

what is a weakness of Aristotle’s and the Kalam argument to do with cause (hypocritical)

A

how can a cause not have a cause

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16
Q

what is a weakness of Aristotle’s and the Kalam argument to do with belief

A

can only convince believers in God

17
Q

what of Aquinas’ 5 ways are the cosmological argument

A

first three
1 motion
2 causation
3 contingency

18
Q

what is aquinas’ first way

A

motion

an object only moves when an external force applied

movements don’t go back to an infinite regress of movers

must have been a prime mover who was once unmoved

19
Q

why do things change (Aquinas/motion)

A

things only change because of external force

20
Q

changing because of external force example (Aquinas/motion)

A

e.g. fire making wood hot

wood can’t change itself as it would have to be both potentiality and actuality

21
Q

what is Aquinas’ second way

A

causation

Aquinas identifies a series of causes and effects in the universe

observes nothing could cause itself

would mean it would have had to existed before it existed which is logically impossible

22
Q

what is Aquinas’ third way

A

contingency

world consists of contingent items and beings

if all beings were contingent and if at one time nothing existed, nothing could come into existence as it needs a cause

all things can’t be contingent, must be a necessary one

23
Q

what is necessary to contingency (Aquinas)

A

must only be one necessary being to avoid infinite regress of necessary beings

24
Q

what are 2 strengths of Aquinas’ contingency

A

only attempts to prove uncaused cause

corresponds with science e.g. Big Bang

25
what are 2 weaknesses of Aquinas' contingency
could be an endless series of causes, not prime mover, universe could be infinite still infinite regress, what was prime mover doing prior to creating the universe
26
who criticises Aquinas
Hume and Kant