Cosmological Argument Flashcards
What book did aquinas write?
Summa Theologica
What kind of thinker was Aquinas?
A posteriori, deontological and absolute
What was the purpose of our existence?
To gain fellowship with God
What were aquinas’ first three ways of the cosmological argument?
Motion
Cause
Contingency/necessary
Briefly outline the argument from motion
By motion he meant change. Everything in the universe moves from a state of potentiality to actuality, this must be God because God is external, necessary and perfect. God also maintains motion within the universe, for example an acorn moving from a potential state of being a tree to the actual state of being a tree. Train and the engine is the modern example. God is also known as a prime mover, without God, nothing would exist
Briefly explain the argument from causation
Everything in the universe has an efficient cause, and since you cannot be your own efficient cause (bring yourself into existence) something must have started off the first cause, since there cannot be an infinite regress of efficient causes, the uncaused causer is believed to be god, God also maintains the relationship between efficient to final cause as he cannot be moved as God is perfect and external.
Briefly explain the argument from contingency
Everything in the universe is a contingent (dependent on something). This is because you cannot be your own cause, or direct your own motion from potentiality to actuality, therefore, there must be something necessary which is independent of all, and can be its own cause. This is known to be god because God is perfect, external, a prime mover and a uncaused causer.
How did copleston use Leibniz principle of sufficient reason?
Used Leibniz principle of sufficient reason. This is evidence that causation is proof of god because God is his own sufficient reason(cause), God is necessary
(Sufficient = full/perfect explanation) (Proximate = just enough information)
What did Russell say about the universe
The universe is just there and that is all
What analogies does Russell use
Mother -> every human has a mother, doesn’t mean the whole human race has one mother
Gold digger -> a man might look for gold without assuming it’s everywhere, just because scientists look for causes doesn’t mean they’re there
What did copleston say Russell was being?
Dogmatic!!
How did Copleston respond to Russell’s analogy of the mothership
You cannot use explanations from within the universe, especially seeing as you are looking for a transcendent explanation.
Everything has a cause and scientists presuppose causes and that the universe is intelligible (can be explained)
What did Kai neilsen say?
If you have an infinite regress you don’t need a first cause
How did Hume criticise the cosmological argument?
Inductive reasoning: starts with an observation, then applied to everything that could be observed. E.g. 1000 white swans, all swans are white HOWEVER: how many times must something be observed
Fallacy of composition: cannot make a statement about something as a whole based on a small observation
How did Kant criticise the cosmological argument
Only analytic claims can be necessary, eg triangles
