cosmological argument essay prep Flashcards
Hume criticism fallacy of composition
-concept of cause and effect a fallacy of composition
-parts of universe having cause doesn’t follow that whole universe does
Hume 20 particles example
Hume’s 20 particles= can explain why each of 20 particles in place but don’t need to ask cause of the whole.
what way does Hume criticise?
way 2- just bc observe cause in universe doesn’t mean uncaused causer causing them
CA for Hume: Leibniz
principle of sufficient reason
strength for Hume from Russell
uncaused objects in universe i.e. quantum transitions in atoms. so may not be explainable
Kant argument against CA
cause and effect a human imposed concept to understand universe
what way does Kant criticise?
criticises way 2 no chain of cause and effect then no first cause of uncaused causer.
CA for Kant: Anscombe
as humans we always ask ‘why?’ or ‘what caused it?’
-Magician and rabbit in hat example- don’t believe there’s not cause for rabbit
-‘What is cause of universe?’= valid question
strength for Kant from Hume
brute fact argument= universe just exists, don’t need to ask why. don’t need to assume everything has a cause
CA based on observation
-a posteriori so requires sense experience and observation of evidence
weakness for observation
-same evidence leads to different conclusions (Wisdom’s parable)
strength for observation
-relies on empiricism which everyone can experience and verify
CA for observation
it’s inductive so evidence only ever leads to a probable conclusion.
Aquinas’ way 2
-everything in universe result of succession of causes
-nothing can be its own cause
-cannot be an infinite regression of causes
-must be a first cause which is uncaused began chain of cause and effect
-this uncaused causer is God.
