Cosmological Argument Flashcards
Theme 1A
What is an inductive argument in classical theism?
An inductive argument uses evidence within the universe to prove God.
What did Leibniz propose regarding the existence of the world?
Leibniz proposed the question of why there is a world and why it is the way it is, believing the answer would involve God.
What is the principle of sufficient reason according to Leibniz?
‘No fact could ever be true… unless there was sufficient reason why it was.’
What did St. Thomas Aquinas believe about the natural world?
Aquinas believed the natural world provided a lot of evidence for God.
What is the ‘Summa Theologica’?
Aquinas’ work that sets out 5 ways to prove God.
What type of proofs does Aquinas use?
Aquinas uses a posteriori proofs, based on observations and experience.
What is the first argument in Aquinas’ five ways?
The 1st Way is the Unmoved Mover, which states that nothing can change or move by itself.
What does potentiality mean?
Potentiality refers to the possibility of something being done or becoming something.
What does actuality mean?
Actuality is when the potential is achieved.
What is the second argument in Aquinas’ five ways?
The 2nd Way is the Uncaused Causer, which deals with cause and effect.
What analogy is used in the 2nd Way?
The analogy of a line of dominoes, where one falling leads to all falling.
What is the third argument in Aquinas’ five ways?
The 3rd Way is from Necessity and Contingency, distinguishing between necessary and contingent beings.
What does JL Mackie argue regarding the universe?
Mackie states, ‘We would not expect a railway with infinite carriages to move without an engine.’
What is one strength of the cosmological argument?
It uses scientific principles of cause and effect.
What is a weakness of the cosmological argument?
It says everything has a cause, but then God does not have a cause.
What does Kant argue about the necessary being?
Kant argues that the existence of a necessary being is inconceivable.
What is Hume’s criticism of the cosmological argument?
Hume argues that we cannot apply causes from our experience to the universe as a whole.
What did Russell argue about the universe?
Russell dismissed the idea of a necessary being, stating the universe is just a ‘brute fact.’
What is the Kalam Argument?
The Kalam Argument posits that everything that begins to exist has a cause, including the universe.
Who were key scholars behind the Kalam Argument?
Al Kindi and Al Ghazali were largely behind the Kalam Argument.
What does William Lane Craig argue about the universe?
Craig argues that the universe cannot be infinite and must have a beginning.
What is the difference between potential infinity and actual infinity?
Potential infinity refers to events being added over time, while actual infinity is a mathematical concept of an infinite number of parts within a set.
What does Ed Miller argue regarding time and the universe?
Miller argues that if the universe were infinite, we would never reach today, indicating that time began with the universe.
