cosmological argument Flashcards
what type of reasoning is the cosmological argument and why?
a-posteriori because it uses empiricism (senses) to gain knowledge about the existence of God from examining the universes (cosmos)
what does infinite regression mean?
a sequence of causes that go on endlessly with no starting point
what did Aquinas think about infinite regression?
Aquinas rejected the idea of infinite regress and believed that there must be a first cause that created and caused the universe.
where did Aquinas write about the five ways
Summa theologica
how many ways in aquinas five ways relate to the cosmological argument
the first three ways
what are each of the first three ways called?
first way: motion
second way: uncaused causer
third way: contingency and necessity
(MUC)
what is the first way and what is it about?
the first way is motion and it is the belief that everything in the world is in a process of motion.
what is everything in the universe changing from?
potentiality (something can be able to change into something else) to actuality (when something becomes what potential it had to be)
what did Aquinas conclude in this 1st way?
he concluded that there must be an unmoved mover which is God. ( he moves things without moving himself )
what is aquinas second way and what is it about?
uncaused causer and it is the belief that every effect has a cause, but there must be a first cause, someone that caused all of this world to happen. This is God. (he cant be apart of the process of cause and effect)
what is aquinas third way and what is it about?
contingency and necessity and it is about how everything in the universe is contingent (relies upon something else for its existence)
what did aquinas conclude?
that there must be something that doesnt depend on anything else. A necessary being that created its own existence and doesnt rely on anybody.
for aquinas infinite regress is what?
impossible since God created the universe.
what is humes criticism on Aquinas second way?
1) rejection of there being an uncaused causer.
- just because things within the universe can be explained through causes does not mean there is a cause for the universe as a whole.
according to humes just because we observe cause and effect doesnt mean this applies to the universe, what is this called?
fallacy of composition. (if something is true of one thing doesnt mean it has to be true for the whole thing)
explain the example hume uses to describe the belief about there being an uncaused causer?
Hume gives the example of ‘twenty particles’ - if you find an explanation for each particle individually it would be wrong to then conclude an explanation for the whole collection.
how does bertrand russell support humes
he says that every man having a mother is not proof that the human race has a mother.
what did humes say about the possibility of infinite regress?
he argued that ther4e is no logical reason why an infinite regress of causes cant exist. It is possible that there is an eternal chain of events, making a first cause unnecessary.
what did JL. Mackie ask?
why God had to be the necessary being, why cant it be a stock of matter instead. Why God?
what did humes say about the universe being a necessary being
he said that it is possible that the universe by itself is necessary, without needing an external cause like GOD.
what did humes say about the belief of the first cause being God
we cant assume that the first cause is the God of classical theism. The first cause could be something entirely different
what did humes say about the belief of the universe being contingent?
he said that it is unnecessary to look for a reason as to why the universe exists. It could be that it just exists without having to rely on anyone
what did Bertrand Russell say about the cosmological argument? (criticism on God being a necessary being)
He says that there is no proof of God being a necessary being. This causes the cosmological argument to be useless.
what did Bertrand Russell question and ask?
he asked why the universe can’t just exist without need for explanation.
what was a criticism of Aquinas saying that infinity is impossible?
Aquinas said infinity is impossible but the God of classical theism is infinite, so how can God be infinite and the universe is not?
what was Leibniz sufficient reason?
Leibniz argued that everything has an explanation or reason. Therefore, the universe’s existence must have an explanation. ( may have implied that the existence of the universe must be God )
what are the two other explanations for the start of the universe?
1) big bang theory
2) steady state theory
(BBSS)
what is the big bang theory?
a naturalistic explanation for how the world became, the universe came from a single point and has been expanding ever since.
what is the steady state theory?
energy cannot be created, it has always been there since the beginning of time.
at a certain point, all energy around the earth collided and become one, causing the universe.
name a supporter of the cosmological argument
Kalam
what was kalam’s argument?
everything that exists has a cause, the universe exists therefore the universe has a cause which is God.
