Exam 1 Flashcards
What is the Kalam cosmological argument
1) Causal Principle: Everything that begins to exist has a cause
2) The universe began to exist
3) Hence, the creation of the universe must have a distinct (*personal) cause
What is philopunus two arguments
1) an actual infinity of real things is impossible
2) an actual infinity of real things (even if possible) would be impossible to traverse
How do philoponus argument support the Kalam argument
they support the second argument of the Kalam argument (the universe began to exist)
actual vs potential infinity
actual infinity - limited within set
potential infinity - constantly expanding, uncontainable
what is Euclid’s axiom
a subset of a set is smaller than the set of which it is a subset
a subset must be smaller than the set
explain philoponus first argument (an actual infinity of real things is impossible)
1) if the world were eternal, the present moment would be preceded by an actual infinity of past moments
2) past events are real things
3) an actual infinity of real things is impossible
4) hence an actual infinity of past events is impossible (from 2,3)
5) hence, the world isn’t eternal (from 1 - 4)
explain philoponus second argument (an actual infinity of real things (even if possible) would be impossible to traverse)
1) if the world were eternal, the present moment would be preceded by an actual infinity of past moments
2) but it is impossible to traverse, an actual infinity of past moments to arrive at the present
3) therefore, if the world were eternal, we wouldn’t have been able to arrive at the present moment
4) but we are in the present moment
5) hence, the world isn’t eternal
a priori vs a posteriori argument
a priori is based prior to experience (not based on experience)
a posteriori is based after experience (based on experience)
what is the causal principle
everything that begins to exist has a cause
why is an actual infinity impossible
because a subset of a set would be equal to the whole set, does not make sense.
what is Bertrand Russels objection
cantorian set theory proves that an actual infinity of real things is possible
what are the two assumptions for Bertrand Russels objection
1) numbers are real things (mathematical platonism)
2) consistency implies possibility
what is mathematical platonism
numbers are real things
why does plato believe that the universe began to exist
because everything around us is in a state of decay
What are Craigs two a posterori arguments for the universe having a beginning
1) thermodynamics law (if the universe always existed we would have already run out of energy)
(all energy goes to absolute zero (coffee cup example), everything runs out of energy)
2) big bang singularity (Hubble observation of expansion galaxy, shows that universe is expanding and started from a single point)
What is Humes counter to the causal principle
we do not know the causal principle to be true
not intuitive
What are the counters to the Cosmological Argument
1) Krauss: quantum vacuum
2) Hume: not intuitive
3) Bertrand Russell: set theory
what are Humes 4 foundations for intuition
1) contradictions
2) resemblance
3) quantity
4) quality
What are Krauss counter to causal principle
Krauss: Quantum Vacuum. Space void of matter that has atoms seemingly being
created out of nothing
What are Craigs two counters to Krauss counter to causal principle + further conversations
1) Craig: Quantum vacuum is not nothing
2) Craig: just because you cannot see a cause does not mean it isn’t there (observable cause does not equal actual cause)
Krauss: There is no reason to acknowledge a potential cause if there is no reason to believe that a cause exists
Craig: There is reason to believe that it has a cause if you believe in the causal principle
difference between mechanical and personal reason for creation of the universe?
personal = mind, being an agent in the world
mechanical = laws of nature mechanically creating effect
Craig argument for personal reason
1) a cause is either personal or mechanical
2) if the cause were mechanical, the effect would have to last as long as the cause (cause would have to be everlasting, which it is not)
3) hence the cause cannot be mechanical, and must be personal
Swinburne argument for personal reason
1) a cause is either personal or mechanical
2) laws of nature were created with the creation of the universe hence cannot apply with the creation of the universe itself
3) hence the cause cannot be mechanical, and must be personal
why must the personal cause be powerful, eternal
