The Cosmological argument Flashcards
What is the cosmological argument?
An argument from observation of the universe to suggest there is a God
Which of Aquinas’ ways are the cosmological argument?
1st, 2nd, and, 3rd
What’s Aquinas’ first way?
The Argument from Motion
- By this, he meant motus a change from actuality to potentiality
- he says nothing can move by itself
- He says there cannot be an infinite regression of movers
- Therefore there must be an unmoved mover which in itself cannot be moved or changed
- He calls the unmoved mover God
What’s Aquinas’ second way?
The Argument from Causation
- Everything in the universe is a result of a succession of causes
- Nothing can be its own cause as this is a logical impossibility
- There cannot be an infinite regression of causes
- There must be a first cause which itself in uncaused
- Aquinas called this God
What’s Aquinas’ third way?
The Argument from Contingency
- Everything in the universe is contingent (can exist or not exist)
- If sometimes things do not exist it is possible there was a time when nothing existed
- But how could something come from nothing?
- Therefore there must be a necessary being (has to exist) which brought everything into existence
- Aquinas calls this God
What is a necessary being?
A being which cannot not exist
What is a contingent being?
A being which can exist or not exist and relies on something else for its existence
Why is Hume’s criticisms of the teleological argument?
1) Hume criticises inductive arguments (based on empiricism and can only lead to a probable conclusion) by suggesting that we can only observe a limited amount and therefore we shouldn’t apply cause aqnd effect to things outside our experience eg) sun rising tomorrow
2) The fallacy of composition - just because things in the world have a cause doesn’t mean the universe has a cause
3) What is the cause of God? Could the universe be its own cause?
4) Why not accept infinite regress? Aquinas just assumes it isn’t.
5) Even if the universe has a cause it’s not necessarily the God of classical theism
What is an inductive argument?
An argument based on empiricism and can only lead to a probable conclusion
What is a deductive argument?
An argument based on reason and if the premises are correct the conclusion must be true
What is Kant’s criticism of the cosmological argument?
He said that cause and effect belongs to the phenomenal world and is how our human minds like to order things but not as the world actually is in the noumenal world. Therefore you can’t use cause and effect as evidence for God.
What are Russell’s criticisms of the cosmological argument?
He asks why there has to be one cause behind the universe. He says just because each human has a mother doesn’t mean the human race has a mother (Hume’s Fallacy of Composition). He suggests there could be many causes for the universe.
He also said the universe is just a brute fact and we shouldn’t question why it is there because it just is!
He also argues the argument jumps from familiar concepts which can be proven synthetically to a conclusion which must be proven analytically and this is impossible because it is unknowable.
How does Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reasoning support the cosmological argument?
He uses the principle to suggest why there is something rather than nothing. He suggests the universe needs a complete explanation to why it is there which infinite regress does not give. He gives the example of an old book which was copied from a previous book which was copied etc - this does not explain why the book was written just as infinite regress doesn’t explain why the universe was created.
How does Coplston support the cosmological argument?
He uses Leibniz’s Principle and applies it to Aquinas way 3. He argues a series of contingent beings does not explain why there is something rather than nothing as contingent beings need a reason outside themselves to exist. He suggests God provides a full and sufficient reason.
