kalam argument Flashcards
kalam argument
temporal causation- causation in time
kalam argument in standard form
P1 whatever comes into being must have a cause (strikes our intuition)
P2 the universe came into being.
C1 the universe must have a cause.
P3 if the universe has a cause of its existence, it must be god.
Therefore god exists.
issues with premise 3
why does it have to be god and not a natural cause? such as the big bang theory
why cant the universe exists as an infinite (no beginning and end)
al ghazal explains premise 2
planets and math
P2 is the claim that the universe could not have existence an infinite amount of time. Al Ghazali attempted to show in a number of different ways that the concept of an infinite regress (things keep going back with no beginning). For example, he used the movement of the planets to show how infinite generated a mathematical paradox:
P1 juniper has a 12-year orbit. Saturn has a 30-year orbit. Therefore, Jupiter does twice as many orbits as Saturn
P2 if time is infinite then juniper does exactly the same number of orbits as Saturn
P3 this is absurd p2 contradiction p1, but al Ghazali knows p1 to be true.
Therefore, time can’t is infinite and the universe must have a beginning.
The kalam argument has been recently been revived by William lane craig who proposed an argument that runs:
P1 everything that comes into existence must have a cause of its existence
P2 the universe came into existence
Conc the universe must therefore have a cause of its existence
P3 no scientific explanation (physical laws) can provide a sufficient explanation for the origin of the universe thus the explanation must lie in a personal agent.
P4 an actual infinite cant exist.
( actual infinite- an actual infinite has no beginning and no end. Always existed and always will)
Potential infinite has a beginning but no ending.
P5 a temporal series of events that has no beginning is an actual infinite
Conc2 therefore a temporal series of events without a beginning cant exist.
P6 if something has a finite past its existence has been caused because it has a beginning.
P7 the universe has a finite past
Conc 3 therefore the universe has been caused.
P8 space and time originated with the universe and also have a finite past so the cause of the universe’s existence must itself be beyond space and time ( arguing for a god who is transcendent beyond space and time)
P9 if the cause of the universe is beyond space and time no scientific explanation can sufficiently explain the origins of the universe.
P10 if no scientific explanation can explain the origins of the universe the cause must be personal not physical
Therefore the cause of the universe is god.
issues
list
why does it have to be personal? have feeling ideas thoughts personality?
ambiguity and fallacy of equivocation
The ambiguity objection the fallacy of equivocation
Summary of al Ghazali version of the kalam argument can be used to show how the argument commits the fallacy of equivocation
P1 whatever has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence
P2 the universe has a beginning of its existence
Therefore has a cause of its existence
At first, this appears to be a valid argument (the conclusion appears to follow from the premise) however there seems to be an equivocation over the word beginning(the word beginning is being used in p1 and p2 with different meanings. If the word beginning is being used equivocally in the argument, then the argument will be invalidated.
The two senses of beginning
1st sense beginning to exist as part of a set of prior existing things everyday sense where things beginning to exist needs a cause. Can be intuitively judged to have a cause. This is how beings is used in p1. Contingent being. Wood from a table. Wood from the tree. Tree from seed. Seed from another tree.
2nd sense is something with a finite past beginning to exist out of nothing ie out of no set of prior existing things- creating existence by becoming existent. This is how begins is used in p2. Cant be intuitively judged to have a cause.
consequences for argument
All ys have a c
The u is a z – y and z both represent the beginning so we can’t tie these premises to establish a conclusion.
william replies to this ambiguity objection
The argument needs to read like this
Every physical event must have a cause
There was a first physical event because the universe has a finite past
There was a first physical event with a cause. The cause of the first physical event must be nonphysical (god) to avoid infinite regress.
