The Cosmological Argument

Question 1

What type of argument is the Cosmological Argument?

Answer 1

Posteriori
Synthetic
Deductive

Question 2

Who wrote the Cosmological Argument?

Answer 2

Aquinas

developed on Aristotle’s argument

Question 3

Who is the Aristotle?

Answer 3

Greek Philosopher

Scientist

Question 4

What does Aristotle argue?

Answer 4

That behind the series of cause and effect in the world there must be an unmoved mover.

Question 5

What is Cosmology?

Answer 5

The study of nature and the order of the universe.

Question 6

What are the four causes?

Answer 6

1. Material
2. Efficient
3. Formal
4. Final

Question 7

Define Material Cause.

Answer 7

The things out of which an object is created.

Question 8

Define Efficient Cause.

Answer 8

The way in which an object is created.

Question 9

Define Formal Cause.

Answer 9

The expression, idea or plan that led to the creation of an object.
Its characteristics.

Question 10

Define Final Cause.

Answer 10

The aim for which an object is created.

Question 11

Who made the chain effect?

Answer 11

The Prime Mover.

Question 12

What is The Prime Mover?

Answer 12

Aristotle argued there must have been a thing that started itself without being caused.
An Uncaused Cause/The Prime Mover.

Question 13

Where is The Prime Mover?

Answer 13

What started the chain must be out of time and space because everything in the universe has a cause.

Question 14

Who is Aquinas?

Answer 14

An Italian Theologian and Philosopher.

Question 15

What are Aquinas’ Five Ways and where are they found?

Answer 15

Found in the Summa Theologica and wrote to prove the existence of God.

1. The Unmoved Mover
2. The Uncaused Causer
3. Possibility and Necessity
4. Goodness, Truth and Nobility
5. Teleological

Question 16

Define Way One - The Unmoved Mover.

Answer 16

There must be an Unmoved Mover producing movement in everything else, but not being moved itself.
People understand this to be God.

Question 17

What is Way One?

Answer 17

Aquinas’ argument from motion and change.

Question 18

What is Way Two?

Answer 18

Aquinas’ argument from causation.

Question 19

What is Way Three?

Answer 19

Aquinas’ argument from contingency and necessity.

Nothing stays the same, everything is contingent.

Question 20

Define Contingent.

Answer 20

Things are dependent for their existence on other beings or things.
God.

Question 21

What is the Cosmological Argument based on?

Answer 21

Some claimed common feature of the whole universe, such as movement or cause and effect.

Question 22

Define Way Two - The Uncaused Causer.

Answer 22

Similar to The Unmoved mover but instead of motion, cause is considered.

Question 23

Define necessary.

Answer 23

Something which cannot exist.

Question 24

Define Way Three - Contingency and Necessity.

Answer 24

There must be a necessary being that created all contingent things.
This necessary being = God

Question 25

Define fallacy.

Answer 25

A failure in reasoning in which makes an argument invalid.

Question 26

Who critiques the Cosmological Argument?

Answer 26

Russell

Hume

Question 27

What does Russell say about a “necessary being”?

Answer 27

• God would have to be in a special category of his own to be a necessary being.
• Where does this category come from?
• A “necessary being” has no meaning.

Question 28

What does Hume say about a “necessary being”?

Answer 28

• Any being that exists can also not exist.
• This is not a contradiction.
• Also no contradiction in saying “God does not exist”.
• Aquinas’ Way 3 requires God to be a necessary being = false logic.