cosmological argument

Question 1

infinite regress

Answer 1

-chain of events going backwards forever

Question 2

contingent

Answer 2

can exist or not exist
-relies on something outside of itself to exist

Question 3

necessary being

Answer 3

-cannot not exist
doesnt rely on anything for its own existence and holds reason for being in itself

Question 4

deism

Answer 4

-belief in creator that started world but has no further involvement in it

Question 5

what does way one argue from

Answer 5

argument from motion

Question 6

way one from motion

Answer 6

-nothing can move or change by itself
-cannot be infinite regress of movers
-must be unmoved mover which itself cannot be moved but start chain of movement

Question 7

what is motion for aquinas

Answer 7

means change from potentiality to actuality

Question 8

what does way 2 argue from

Answer 8

-from cause

Question 9

way two from cause

Answer 9

-everything in universe result of succession of causes
-nothing can be its own cause
-cannot be infinite regress of cause
-first cause uncaused causer
-begins chain of cause and effect

Question 10

what does way 3 argue from

Answer 10

contingency

Question 11

way 3 from contingency

Answer 11

-god necessary being that brought everything into existence
-contains reason for existence in itself

Question 12

leibeniz principle of sufficient reason

Answer 12

series of books with no author so why did they and how did they come about

Question 13

arguments for cosmological argument being convincing

Answer 13

-way one- can observe motion and change in universe, has to be series of movers and not go back to infinity
-way 2- observe cause and effect in world, uncaused causer to start chain of cause and effect
-way 3- observe contingency- relying on things
-he seeks to explain how and why universe exists

Question 14

arguments against cosmological argument being convincing

Answer 14

-more reasonable to believe in infinite regress than unmoved mover
-cause and effect more like correlation, impossible to observe cause of universe and bigger things
-fallacy of composition- contingency in universe doesnt make universe contingent
-doesnt lead to theistic god- could be deist god
-some argue why universe exists has no answer- dont bother

Question 15

inductive reasoning

Answer 15

-collects data and knowledge from experience and observation

Question 16

humes criticism cause and effect

Answer 16

-inductive leads to probable not certain conclusions
-even if cause and effect observed doesnt mean universe has uncaused causer

Question 17

inductive leap according to hume

Answer 17

when cause and effect chain we experience with things in universe are applied to everywhere in universe

Question 18

humes view on cause and effect

Answer 18

correlations not direct correspondents
-happen together but not certain they occur together every time

Question 19

humes example of twenty particles

Answer 19

-20 particles- we can explain reasons why each of particles in place but dont need to ask whats the cause of all particles

-logical fallacy - just because parts of universe have a cause doesnt follow whole universe has cause

Question 20

humes challenge to a necessary being

Answer 20

-whats cause of god
-could universe be necessary instead of contingent
-no need to make unusual assumptions of god

Question 21

humes challenge to no infinite regress

Answer 21

-Mackie supports idea of infinite regress possibility with infinite hooks
-linked together in infinite chain
-

Question 22

humes challenge to god of classical theism

Answer 22

-could be different type of god in conclusion
-desti god
-logical leap to christian god

Question 23

arguments for humes arguments success

Answer 23

-aquinas to reliant on inductive reasoning and links between cause and effect not certain - 2 way- no need to argue uncaused causer
-dont need to assume everything has cause, Russell, quantam particles appear out of nowhere
-infinite regress possible, just because its difficult to imagine doesnt mean its impossible

Question 24

arguments arguing humes criticisms fail

Answer 24

–we collest observation and predict future- using empirical evidence- how we live
-Anscombe, humans ask why, humans asking cause of universe valid question
-infinite regress possible, impossible to prove because cant be validified with observation

Question 25

what does hume believe about causation

Answer 25

a psychological concept and we cannot make links between cause and effect beyond our experience

Question 26

theists and big bang

Answer 26

Higgs bosson- doesnt explain how particle got there or why or how universe moving
-theists see science as tool that god used to create simple universe with set laws of nature

Question 27

temporal causation

Answer 27

when a cause brings about its effect and the continued existence of the effect dependent on the existence of the cause

Question 28

central feature of kalams argument

Answer 28

beginning cause rather than sustaining cause
-causal sequence being temporal with god as beginning cause

Question 29

proposition by kalam of cosmological argument

Answer 29

everything that begins has a cause of existence
-universe began to exist- infinite regress not possible
-universe has cause of its existence

Question 30

strength for kalam argument W.L Craigs argument for impossibility of actual infinite

Answer 30

-half of infinity still infinity so not smaller than infinity
-if red set books smaller than all of books Z- but also equal size since both infinite
-infinites cant exist since both smaller than and same size as other infinities

Question 31

counter to kalam infinite series possible

Answer 31

G. Cantor
-mathematical properties of infinite sets different to those are finite- craigs library not absurd
-intuition of finite sets not applicable to infinite sets which is why we reach wrong conclusions
-have different mathematical relation

Question 32

strength of cosmological based on causal principle which says every event has cause

Answer 32

-Ex nihilo nihil- nothing comes from nothing
-ancient greeks parmenides , aristotle, aquinas
-W.L Craig- metaphysical intuition
-causal principle pillars with arguments about divine nature and infinite regress

Question 33

weakness humes objection to causal principle

Answer 33

humes fork tells us propositions can be analytic or synthetic
-if not true by definition analytic no contradiction for something to exist without cause
-synthetic truth- uncertainty in experience
-not observed all events
Lawrence Krauss- universe has zero total energy

Question 34

evaluation defending cos argument causal principle strong

Answer 34

-universality of causal principle justified through induction
-involved in constant conjunction of cause and effect
–can infer that all effects have cause
-empirically justified causal principle

Question 35

further evaluation criticizing cos argument causal principle wrong

Answer 35

-cant empirically justify causal principle
-all evidence for it comes from within universe
-not justified to apply to all of universe
-conditions could be different even if we observed universe

Question 36

strength from contingency seek ultimate explanation rather than only first cause

Answer 36

-focus on fundamental nature of things
-beings have causal relations but ontological status
-contingent beings and series must have external explanation since in nature to depend on something else for existence

Question 37

weakness Hume and Russel fallacy of composition

Answer 37

-fallacy to assume whats true of things part true for whole part
-Russell- if every human has mother doesnt mean humanity has mother
-20 particles
-experience only shows causation in parts of universe
-only empirical way to prove by committing fallacy of composition

Question 38

evaluation defending cos argument- contingency whole not just part

Answer 38

-Copleston points out contingency arguments done infer whole part
-series caused or uncaused
-if uncaused reasom for existence internal
-no amount of contingent be necessary
-series of contingent must come from necessary

Question 39

Hume and Russell on the universe as brute fact against Leibniz

Answer 39

-fallacy of composition
-hume says no chain because if experience only shows contingent beings exist we can question whether there actually is whole
-universe doesnt have reason at all
-just there and thats all
-quantum mechanics- individual quantum transitions in atom have no cause
-contingency baseless

Question 40

evaluation defending cosmological argument contingency good

Answer 40

-copleston- only some interpratations of quantum mechanisms propose uncaused events
-brute fact argument self defeating
-if we say there is no reason we undermine science and philosophy in themselves

Question 41

modern sciences rejection to cos argument

Answer 41

microwave background radiation and infared
-evidence for big bang
-Pope Pius XII said big bang theory not in clash with christianity
-gravity had negative energy and cancels positive energy in universe to give zero energy
-answers leibiniz why there is something rather nothing