cosmological argument Flashcards

1
Q

infinite regress

A

-chain of events going backwards forever

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2
Q

contingent

A

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

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3
Q

necessary being

A

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

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4
Q

deism

A

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

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5
Q

what does way one argue from

A

argument from motion

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6
Q

way one from motion

A

-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

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7
Q

what is motion for aquinas

A

means change from potentiality to actuality

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8
Q

what does way 2 argue from

A

-from cause

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9
Q

way two from cause

A

-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

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10
Q

what does way 3 argue from

A

contingency

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11
Q

way 3 from contingency

A

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

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12
Q

leibeniz principle of sufficient reason

A

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

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13
Q

arguments for cosmological argument being convincing

A

-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

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14
Q

arguments against cosmological argument being convincing

A

-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

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15
Q

inductive reasoning

A

-collects data and knowledge from experience and observation

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16
Q

humes criticism cause and effect

A

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

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17
Q

inductive leap according to hume

A

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

18
Q

humes view on cause and effect

A

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

19
Q

humes example of twenty particles

A

-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

20
Q

humes challenge to a necessary being

A

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

21
Q

humes challenge to no infinite regress

A

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

22
Q

humes challenge to god of classical theism

A

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

23
Q

arguments for humes arguments success

A

-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

24
Q

arguments arguing humes criticisms fail

A

–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

25
what does hume believe about causation
a psychological concept and we cannot make links between cause and effect beyond our experience
26
theists and big bang
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
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temporal causation
when a cause brings about its effect and the continued existence of the effect dependent on the existence of the cause
28
central feature of kalams argument
beginning cause rather than sustaining cause -causal sequence being temporal with god as beginning cause
29
proposition by kalam of cosmological argument
everything that begins has a cause of existence -universe began to exist- infinite regress not possible -universe has cause of its existence
30
strength for kalam argument W.L Craigs argument for impossibility of actual infinite
-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
31
counter to kalam infinite series possible
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
32
strength of cosmological based on causal principle which says every event has cause
-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
33
weakness humes objection to causal principle
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
34
evaluation defending cos argument causal principle strong
-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
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further evaluation criticizing cos argument causal principle wrong
-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
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strength from contingency seek ultimate explanation rather than only first cause
-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
37
weakness Hume and Russel fallacy of composition
-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
38
evaluation defending cos argument- contingency whole not just part
-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
39
Hume and Russell on the universe as brute fact against Leibniz
-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
40
evaluation defending cosmological argument contingency good
-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
41
modern sciences rejection to cos argument
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
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