The cosmological argument

Question 1

What does Cosmo mean?

Answer 1

This means the study of the universe.

Question 2

What does the cosmological argument argue?

Answer 2

The argument states that everything that exists in the universe exists because it was by something else. That something was caused by something else. It is necessary for something to have started this all of which is not caused, this is God.

Question 3

What is God?

Answer 3

A self causing and necessary being.

Question 4

What types of Argument is the cosmological argument?

Answer 4

It is a Posteriori argument and it is Based on inductive reasoning.

Question 5

What does a Posteriori argument mean?

Answer 5

The proof of the statement relies on external evidence. e.g. there are more boys taking computer science than girl. The external evidence is the register.

Question 6

What does Inductive reasoning mean?

Answer 6

Starts with a specific experience and draws general conclusions from them.

Question 7

What is the cosmological argument based on?

Answer 7

Aquinas 5 ways which proves the existence of God.

Question 8

Which of Aquinas 5 ways is the cosmological argument?

Answer 8

The first 4 ways.

Question 9

What are the titles for Aquinas’s first 4 ways?

Answer 9

1) Argument for Motion 2) Argument for Cause 3) Argument for contingency 4) Argument for Degrees and Perfection

Question 10

What is Aquinas first argument known as?

Answer 10

Unmoved mover.

Question 11

What does Motion mean?

Answer 11

It means the movement between potentiality and actuality.

Question 12

What is the Argument for Motion?

Answer 12

1) Everything that is moving or changed is moved or changed by something else outside itself.
2) Therefore this means everything has a secondary mover, If everything has a secondary mover, there must be infinite regression.
3) Aquinas rejects infinite regression as you would never get to an explanation.
4) Therefore he argues there is a first mover, not put into motion by another and this is God.

Question 13

Give an example of this premise ‘Everything that is moving or changed is moved or changed by something else outside itself. ‘?

Answer 13

If you have an iron rod, that has the potential to be hot, but cannot be hot by itself, it has to be moved or changed, by something which is actually hot, in this case putting the iron rod into a fire.

Question 14

What are A02 criticisms for Aquinas argument for motion?

Answer 14

1) Aquinas doesn’t explain why there cannot only be secondary causes?
2) Why should we make God the exception?
3) Why not make the universe the exception?
4) What about Big bang theory?

Question 15

What is Aquinas second Argument for cause?

Answer 15

1) Known as the uncaused causer
2) Every effect has a cause, nothing can have its own efficient cause. Nothing we experience is caused by itself.
3) This will lead to an infinite regression of causes
4) Aquinas states that infinite regression is unsatisfactory, as we would never get to an explanation.
5) Therefore there must be a necessary cause,which is uncaused and this is God.

Question 16

What is Aquinas first way influenced by?

Answer 16

Aristotle

Question 17

What are A02 criticisms of Aquinas second Argument for cause?

Answer 17

1) Why can’t there be infinite regression?
2) Many things caused by itself such as cancer, illness and natural disasters.
3) There is contradiction because he says nothing can be caused by itself, but goes onto to say God can be caused by itself.

Question 18

What is Aquinas Third argument of Contingency?

Answer 18

1) All things in the world are contingent as in nature we observe things that are possible to be and not to be ( e.g. possible for me to exist, but will be a time i wont)
2) It is impossible for them to always exist because this is contingency.
3) If so at sometime there was nothing, meaning something must have brought these contingent beings into existence.
4) There must be something that exists which is necessary
5) Aquinas rejected the view that necessary things are caused by other necessary things.
6) There must be a being that causes its own necessity and this is God.

Question 19

What are A02 criticisms of the Argument for contingency?

Answer 19

1) What is nothing
2) Causes may have more than one effect.

Question 20

What does infinite regression mean?

Answer 20

a chain of events that goes backwards forever.

Question 21

What is a Necessary being?

Answer 21

beings which are not dependent on any other for their existence.

Question 22

What is a contingent being?

Answer 22

beings which are not dependent on any other for their existence.

Question 23

What is Aquinas argument for Perfection?

Answer 23

1) Everything in the universe that exists is more or less good 2) There cannot be an infinite scale of Good 3) Therefore there must be something that is perfection, which is God.

Question 24

What is Ao2 Critsmcms of Aquinas argument for Perfection?

Answer 24

1) What is Perfection?
2) Subjective

Question 25

When you get a question to explain the cosmological argument what do you always explain?

Answer 25

Explain all the 4 arguments.

Question 26

What are the 3 arguments that support cosmological argument?

Answer 26

1) Copleston - Argument for contingency
2) The Kalam Argument from Al Kindi and Al-Ghazali 3) William lang Craig?

Question 27

Who was the Principle of sufficient reason proposed by?

Answer 27

Leibniz

Question 28

What is the Principle of sufficient reasoning?

Answer 28

Even if the universe had always been in existence, there must be a cause or a sufficient reason, this is beecause infinite regression is not a sufficient and logical conclusion to the existence of the universe, since there is no proof in the universe. God = good enough reason.

Question 29

What are 2 strengths of the Principle of Sufficient reason?

Answer 29

1) Simple and logical to understand
2) Tries to give a solution to infinite regress.

Question 30

What is 2 weakness of the Principle of sufficient reasoning?

Answer 30

1) Infinity can exist, maybe our minds cannot comprehend it, we shouldn’t limit the universe because of the limits of our mind.
2) God in the gaps solution.

Question 31

Who were the 2 people who had a famous radio debate?

Answer 31

Rusell and Copleston.

Question 32

What was Russel’s argument?

Answer 32

He argues that are existence is lucky and the universe being here is a ‘brute fact’.

Question 33

What is Copleston argument to support the cosmological argument?

Answer 33

He aruges for contingency (similar to Aquinas 3rd argument). There are objects in the world that depend on something for their existence, cause of the universe must be external and separate from contingency and this is God. ( Radio debate)

Question 34

What is Okham’s razor?

Answer 34

The simplest explanation is usually the right one which is God.

Question 35

What is the Kalam argument?

Answer 35

This supports the cosmological argument, it was created by 2 Muslim scholars: Everything which has a beginning has a cause The universe has a beginning, (they reject infinite regression) Therefore the universe has a cause and this is God.

Question 36

What are 4 A02 criticisms of the Kalum argument?

Answer 36

If this is a cause and effect argument ? What caused God

2) Infinity can exist, maybe our minds cannot comprehend it, we shouldn’t limit the universe because of the limits of our mind.
3) Rusell - not meaningful ( to think of a cause ‘ brute fact’
4) Some scientist argue infinite regression does exist. (red shift, showing the universe as expanding)

Question 37

What are 3 strengths of the Kalum argument?

Answer 37

1) It explains the cause of the universe
2) It says the necessary cause is God, helping religious believers that God is the creator. (supported by Coppleston) who rejectes infinite regression)
3) Proves the universe didn’t come by chance, supported by Ockham’s Razor.

Question 38

Assess the strengths of the Kalum version of the cosmological argument for the existence of God (9 marks)

Answer 38

1) It explains the cause of the universe ( it is logical to think that someone caused the universe, because something so perfect cannot be by chance) A02: Russel - not meaningful to think of a cause, ‘brute fact’
2) It says the necessary cause is God, helping religious believers that God is the creator. (supported by Coppleston) who rejectes infinite regression) (gives christian a purpose as they know the universe is created for them) A02: However some scientists do believe in infinite regress e.g. red shift, showing universe expanding also Infinity can exist, maybe our minds cannot comprehend it, we shouldn’t limit the universe because of the limits of our mind.
3) Proves the universe didn’t come by chance, supported by Ockham’s Razor. (if you dont accept it is God, there would be no answer and not support Ockham’s razor) A02: Dawkings- Big bang theory(doesn’t require God to be a cause ‘we are grotesquely lucky to be here’

Question 39

What does the Kinetological way mean?

Answer 39

It means motion, referring to Aquinas’s 1st way.

Question 40

What is Craig argument which is different from the Kalum argument?

Answer 40

He states the universe is finite and has an end. Therefore there had to be a beginning, which was either caused by something or uncaused, which is a personal agent (God)

Question 41

What are 2 A02 strengths of the Craig’s argument?

Answer 41

1) Personal agent allows an Explanation other than God - higher power
2) More validity because explanation is more open (caused or uncaused)

Question 42

What are 2 A02 criticisms of the Craig’s argument?

Answer 42

1) How does Craig know the laws of nature did not exist before the world came to being?
2) ‘Personal agent’ only relates to religious believers.

Question 43

What are 4 strengths of the Cosmological argument?

Answer 43

1) Appeals to common sense in that all things are caused by other things ( in all our experiences nothing is without a cause, we see order, cause and effect all around us)
2) Suggests meaning and purpose for human life and suggests existence of a creator who cares for us.
3) God is a simple explanation. (, and it’s illogical to reject this because that would require the creation of a more complicated cause of the universe which is unnecessary)
4) Better than no explanation (Sufficient Reason, as presented by Leibniz)

Question 44

What could be another strength of the cosmological argument (God is a special case) ?

Answer 44

To say that God is uncaused even though everything needs a cause is not a contradiction, because God is a special case)

Question 45

Name 3 weaknesses presented by Hume?

Answer 45

1) the fallacy of composition ( can’t assume every dog is black because you have only seen black dogs)
2) it is not reasonable to look for a cause of the whole chain if you can satisfactory explain each item in the chain.
3) is the concept of a necessary being meaningful? If it is why is it God?

Question 46

What are 2 general weaknesses of the cosomolgical argument?

Answer 46

1) the cosomoligcal argument contradicts itself.
2) we cannot understand the cause of the universe because it is something we can never experience. Everything is sheer speculation.

Question 47

What is the criticism presented by Immanuel Kant?

Answer 47

If we have not experienced something with our senses we can make no claim on it. To suggest God as the cause of the universe is equally nonsensical as he also lies outside the realm of sense experience.

Question 48

What does Reduction ad absurdum mean?

Answer 48

Reducing logical conclusions to an absurd conclusion e.g. Coplestion argument.

Question 49

Assess the strengths of Aquinas’ argument for contingent and necessary beings. (9 marks)?

Answer 49

1) It is logical because we see order, cause and effect all the time. (e.g. if you throw a ball, there is a cause and effect relationship, the fact that this is scientific makes it seem more valid. However Hume critiscm (is the idea of a necessary being meaningful and why is the universe not necessary)
2) It gives meaning and purpose for life, suggesting God loves us ( Why cant there be infinite regression, God in the Gaps explanation, our minds cant comprehend with infinite regression. (Red shift )
3) It gives a solution to infinite regression, supported by Coppleston who disagrees with Infinite regression. (It is not a contradiction to say God is necessary, he is a special case) However I Kant argument.

Question 50

What did Plato and Aristotle both set forward?

Answer 50

The universe needed a craftsmen and couldn’t understand how the universe could exist without a mover.

Question 51

What is the Taxi cab fallacy to critique Russel’s idea of fallacy of composition ( the idea that just because something has a particular quality, the whole thing has that same quality) ?

Answer 51

Russel accepts the principle that you can look for explanations of things all the way - until we get to the universe itself. Then Russel changes his mind and jumps out, like a taxi customer jumping out of the cab before being asked to pay for the fare.