Cosmological Arguments

Question 1

A Priori

Answer 1

gaining knowledge through logic

Question 2

A Posteriori

Answer 2

gaining knowledge through experience

Question 3

Inductive

Answer 3

conclusion aims to be the most probable, but not the only one

Question 4

Plato

Answer 4

primary movers - can change themselves and others
secondary movers - can only change once they have been moved

Question 5

Aristotle

Answer 5

unmoved mover - ultimate cause of the universe
chain of causes and effects - have to have started with the ultimate cause = God

Question 6

Aquinas’ First Way

Answer 6

the argument from change or motion: nothing can move or change itself, if everything was a secondary mover there would be an infinite regress of movers, meaning there would be no prime mover but this is false. There must be an unmoved prime mover to start it all = God e.g a piece of wood has the potential to become hot but needs fire to actualise this.

Question 7

Aquinas’ Second Way

Answer 7

the argument from causation: in the world there is an order of efficient causes and nothing can cause itself. If this chain went back, there would be no first cause, meaning no subsequent causes but this is false. There must be a first cause which is the source of all other causes = God

Question 8

Aquinas’ Third Way

Answer 8

the argument from contingency: things in the world are contingent (pass in and out of existence), but it is impossible for everything to be contingent because that would mean that there was once nothing. There must be at least one necessary being which cannot be dependent on others = God.

Question 9

Hilbert’s Hotel

Answer 9

an infinite hotel where all the rooms are filled, but there is room for others - theoretically the universe could have a start and go on forever (potential infinity). Anything with a start cannot be fully infinite

Question 10

Aseity

Answer 10

self existence, doesn’t need a creator

Question 11

The Kalam Argument

Answer 11

everything that begins has a cause
the universe cannot actually be infinite -must have had a beginning
the universe requires a cause
the cause must have been a personal being capable of choosing to cause the universe
God is the cause of the universe

Question 12

Criticisms of the Kalam Version

Answer 12

• even if there is a being who caused the Big Bang, it doesn’t have to have been God
• scientists would argue that there are some finite things that do not require causes
• it is scientifically possible that the universe did not ‘begin’ to exist in the way Craig claims

Question 13

Strengths of the Cosmological Argument

Answer 13

• offers a simple, logical explanation for observable features of the universe
• can be used with other arguments to show that God’s existence is highly probable