Cosmological Argument

Question 1

First Way - The argument for Motion

Answer 1

•Everything is moving by something outside of itself
•The process can not go back infinitely
•There must be a ‘first mover’ independent of anything else
‘UNMOVED MOVER’

Question 2

Analysis: First Way

Answer 2

What caused God?
What about the Big Bang?
Scientific evidence?

Question 3

Second Way - Causation of Existence

Answer 3

Every effect has a cause
Nothing that we experience is caused by itself
There cannot be infinite regression of the cause
there must be a ‘First Cause’
‘UNCAUSED CAUSER’

Question 4

Analysis: Second Way

Answer 4

Caused by itself?
•cancer
•illnesses
•oxygen 
•natural disasters

Question 5

Third Way - Contingent and Necessary being

Answer 5

All things in nature are subject to change
It is impossible for something not to exist, then come into existence and then cease to exist
There must be something that brings these things into existence, since nothing can come from nothing
There must be a being that necessarily exists to bring the contingent world into being
‘NECESSARY BEING’

Question 6

Analysis: Third Way

Answer 6

What is ‘Nothing’?
-subjective
Is everything dependent on something?

Question 7

Fourth Way - The argument from Degrees and Perfection

Answer 7

Everything in the world that exists is more or less good
There are varying degrees of excellence
There cannot be an infinite scale of good
Therefore there must be something that is perfection

Question 8

Analysis: Fourth Way

Answer 8

Nobody is perfect

-subjective

Question 9

The Kalam Argument

Answer 9

Islamic form of the argument made by:
• Al-Kindi
• Al-Ghazali

Question 10

Explanation of the Kalam Argument

Answer 10

• everything has a cause of its existence
• Infinity as a concept can’t exist - Coppleston
• The universe started somewhere
• The universe didn’t exist at one point
• Something has to will something into being

Question 11

Analysis: The Kalam Argument

Answer 11

Russell - ‘not meaningful to think of a cause’
Dawkins - Big Bang? “we are grotesquely lucky to be here”
What caused God?
Infinity does exist - Red shift

Question 12

Leibniz - principle to sufficient reason

Answer 12

The universe required sufficient reason for its existence
Infinite regression will never give a complete explanation
Nothing in the universe will show why it exists

Question 13

Strengths of ‘Principle to sufficient reason’

Answer 13

Agrees with Aquinas, al-kindi, al-Ghazali
Simplifies explanation - Ockham’s razor
Universe did not come about by chance
Solution to infinite regress

Question 14

Weaknesses of ‘Principle to sufficient reason’

Answer 14

• What is sufficient?
- subjective
• Who created God?
• Human minds have limits; can’t comprehend infinity existing
- God creates universe = limits human mind

Question 15

Infinite Regress

Answer 15

Idea of a process going back in time with no beginning

Question 16

William Craig believed - ‘personal agent’

Answer 16

• The universe is finite; there must have been a beginning (caused/uncaused)
• The universe came about naturally or through personal choice not due to random forces of nature
• There must have been a ‘personal agent’ existing outside space and time

Question 17

Strengths: William Craig’s points

Answer 17

Suggests that God created the universe
More validity
-open to interpretation of personal agent

Question 18

Weaknesses: William Craig’s points

Answer 18

Who created the ‘personal agent’
‘Personal agent’ only relates to religious believers
Not certain if law of nature exists before the world came about