Cosmological argument Flashcards
Cosmological argument
Thomas Aquinas’ argument that the universe must have a creator due to the observation of cause and effect.
Infinite regress
An endless chain of events with no beginning
Aquinas says that this is impossible
Aquinas fire example (Way 1)
Wood has the potential to become fire, but it needs actualised fire to reach its potentiality
What did Aquinas conclude about the world? Way 1
Everything requires other actualised things to change them from potentiality to actuality
Why did Aquinas believe there was a first mover? Way 1
Nothing moves without a cause and nothing can actualise itself so there must be something to start this
The second way
Every cause has an effect, things can’t cause themselves meaning there must be something which causes everything - Aquinas believes this to be God
Contingent (Way 3)
Depending on something else to exist
The third way
All physical things are contingent (they depend on something else to exist) so there must be a necessary being which isn’t contingent and is capable of brining things into existence
Leibiniz quote
“Why is there something rather than nothing?”
Leibiniz principle of sufficient reason
If something exists, there must be a reason for its existence
Kant’s criticism
The necessary being is incoherent.
Our knowledge is limited to the phenomenal world (which we experience in time/space) and it is not possible to speculate about what may/may not exist outside of this.
Bertrand Russel’s criticism
Aquinas is guilty of making a fallacy of composition through inferring that something is true of the whole from the fact that it is true for a part
Hume’s criticism of inductive reasoning
Just because we have observed cause and effect in some parts of nature does not mean we can extend this principle to everything.
A posteriori argument
Reasoning/knowledge based on evidence
Hume’s 20 particles example
We can explain the reasons for each of the 20 particles being in place, but we don’t need to ask what the cause of the whole is.
Inductive reasoning
The act of forming a generalization based on a set of specific observations.
Hume’s criticism of cause and effect
They are simply correlations which generally occur together.
For example although every husband must have a wife, doesn’t mean that every man must be married.
Hume on infinite regress
Why not accept it? There is no reason not to.
Mackie on infinite regress
It is possible.
Criticism of Hume and Mackie’s beliefs on infinite regress
Similarly, there is no empirical evidence to prove it is possible.
Criticism of Hume’s rejection of inductive reasoning
We always collect observations to predict the future.
Anscombe’s criticism of Hume
Humans always ask why.
Eg when a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat, we believe there is a cause of this.
Aquinas on infinite regress
It cant be possible because it leads to nothing.
