the cosmological argument (arguments from observation) - Aquinas Flashcards
what is the cosmological argument?
the cosmological argument uses rational, scientific evidence to prove God’s existence, based on the cosmos
what type of argument is the cosmological argument?
inductive argument
what is Aquinas’ first way?
ARGUMENT FROM MOTION:
premise 1: things in the world move from potentiality to actuality
premise 2: things themselves cannot move from potentiality to actuality
conclusion 1: therefore, things are caused to move from potentiality to actuality by other things
premise 4: we cannot have an infinite regress of causes
conclusion 2: there must be a First Mover
conclusion 3: the First Mover is God
how does Gottfried Leibniz support the argument from motion?
PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASONING:
- if something exists, there must be a reason why it exists
what is Aquinas’ second way?
ARGUMENT FROM CAUSATION:
premise 1: everything in the world has a sufficient cause
premise 2: nothing can be its own efficient cause
premise 3: we cannot have an infinite regress of efficient causes
conclusion 1: there must be a first efficient cause
conclusion 2: that cause is God
what is Aquinas’ third way?
ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY:
premise 1: everything in the natural world is contingent
premise 2: if everything in the natural world is contingent, then at some time there was nothing
premise 3: nothing can come from nothing
conclusion 1: therefore, there is at least one thing that exists necessarily
conclusion 2: the most natural way to understand this being is as God
what is a weakness of the cosmological argument?
HUME:
1. Fallacy of the affirmation of the consequent - there is no clear reason why the first mover, the first efficient cause or necessary being must be God
- Fallacy of composition - just because each individual parts have similar properties, doesn’t mean they share those properties as a whole
what is an overcoming of Hume’s weakness?
SWINBURNE:
- God is the best explanation
- all things have either a personal or scientific explanation
- God must be a personal explanation, as if we were to provide a scientific explanation for the existence of the universe there would need to be a scientific law
