Criticisms of motion and causation arguments Flashcards

1
Q

Criticism:
First and second ways rest on a contradiction. Aquinas says that everything must have a cause , but he then concludes that something must exist that can be the cause of itself(God)

A

Defence:
This is what the’‘Reductio ad absurdum’’ is supposed to prove. There has to be at least one exception to the rule ‘ Everything must have a cause’.
If there was no exception , the universe would have no cause and would never exist.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Criticism:
If we take the Secular interpretation of causation then the Cosmological argument shows that a first cause(GOD), once existed.
It is crucial to believers that God is still present to act upon the world . This may satisfy deists , the God that acts once (domino) but Aquinas can not subscribe to this.

A

Defence:
The chain of causation could be interpreted in another way:
God , As the first cause, is acting on the world in the present. This sees causation in terms of the factors that sustain an event.
(God as the sustaining first cause)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly