Cosmology: Leibniz Sufficient Reason

Question 1

Cosmology KU

Answer 1

• The cosmological arguments purpose is to prove the existence of God, a being that is creator of all, omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent
• This makes it a necessary being which itself does not need a cause but gives reason, meaning and purpose to the universe and other contingent beings
• Cosmological arguments are aposteriori arguments which means that it is based on observations through experiences of our empirical faculties (senses)
• It is also inductive which means they propose premises which logically lead to a conclusion
• By doing so it cannot prove the conclusion with 100% accuracy but can give a high probability
• The argument is based on cause and effect and the notion that infinite regress is impossible therefore God is the cause of the universe
• The basic argument goes as follows:
  P1: everything that begins to exist has a cause
  P2: the universe must have a cause
  C: The cause is God

Question 2

Contingency KU

Answer 2

• Leibniz bases his argument around contingency
• Contingent beings are things such as galaxies, people and trees that’s existence is not an essential and defining property but precarious
• This means that it is equally possible for such beings to exist and to not
• However if the universe exists without a beginning given infinite time there must come a moment where every contingent thing simultaneously acts on its capacity not to be thus nothing would have existed at all as nothing can come from nothing
• This results in the need for a necessary being such as God to explain and sustain the existence of the universe

Question 3

Sufficient Reason KU

Answer 3

• The principle of sufficient reason is the idea that everything including the universe must have an explanation for its existence that comes from outside of itself in order to offer a complete answer of how it came into being
• Leibniz believed this sufficient reason to be God
• The basic argument goes as follows:
  1: All beings that exist must have a sufficient reason for doing so
  2: This reason must either lie in the thing itself or outside of it
  3: All things in the universe has a sufficient reason outside of itself
  4: The universe is a collection of the things it consists
  5: The universe must have a sufficient reason that lies outside of itself
  6: There can’t be an infinite regress of sufficient reasons because there would be no final explanation
  7: Therefore there must be a first explanatory being who contains its own sufficient reason (God)
• Leibniz gives this famous example to illustrate his thoughts- a geometry book that has been copied from a series of earlier copied books, existence cannot be explained by saying it’s copy as it does not address its roots, only by finding the original author of the book will give the newest addition a sufficient reason
• “nothing takes place without a sufficient reason”- Leibniz