Cosmological arguments for God's existence

What is the cosmological argument?

An argument for God's existence based on the existence of the universe itself.

What does 'cosmological' mean?

Relating to the origin, nature, and existence of the universe.

What type of argument is the cosmological argument?

An a posteriori and inductive argument based on observation of the world.

What question does the cosmological argument attempt to answer?

Why is there something rather than nothing?

Who is most associated with the cosmological argument?

Thomas Aquinas.

What are Aquinas' Three Ways?

The arguments from motion, causation, and contingency.

What is Aquinas' First Way?

The argument from motion.

What does Aquinas mean by motion?

Any kind of change.

What is Aquinas' argument from motion?

Everything in motion is moved by something else; therefore there must be an Unmoved Mover.

Why does Aquinas reject an infinite regress of movers?

Because there would be no first source of motion.

What is the Unmoved Mover?

God, the first cause of all motion who is not moved by anything else.

What is Aquinas' Second Way?

The argument from causation.

What is Aquinas' argument from causation?

Every effect has a cause; therefore there must be a First Cause.

Why does Aquinas reject an infinite regress of causes?

Without a first cause there could be no subsequent causes.

What is the First Cause?

God, who causes everything else but is uncaused.

What is Aquinas' Third Way?

The argument from contingency.

What is a contingent being?

A being that depends on something else for its existence and could fail to exist.

What is a necessary being?

A being that must exist and cannot fail to exist.

What is Aquinas' argument from contingency?

If everything were contingent, there could have been a time when nothing existed; therefore a necessary being must exist.

Why is a necessary being required according to Aquinas?

Because contingent beings cannot explain their own existence.

What is the necessary being in Aquinas' argument?

God.

What is the Principle of Sufficient Reason?

Everything that exists must have an explanation or reason for its existence.

Who is associated with the Principle of Sufficient Reason?

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

What is Leibniz's cosmological argument?

The universe requires an explanation, which is found in a necessary being, God.

How does Leibniz explain contingent things?

They depend on something else for their existence.

Why does Leibniz argue that the universe is contingent?

It could have been different or might not have existed at all.

What is Leibniz's conclusion?

A necessary being, God, is the sufficient reason for the universe.

What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument?

A cosmological argument based on the beginning of the universe.

Who developed the Kalam Cosmological Argument?

Medieval Islamic philosophers and modern philosopher William Lane Craig.

What is the first premise of the Kalam argument?

Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

What is the second premise of the Kalam argument?

The universe began to exist.

What is the conclusion of the Kalam argument?

Therefore, the universe has a cause.

How does the Big Bang support the Kalam argument?

It suggests the universe had a beginning.

What characteristics does William Lane Craig attribute to the cause of the universe?

Timeless, spaceless, powerful, and personal.

What is one strength of Aquinas' cosmological argument?

It provides an explanation for why the universe exists.

What is one strength of Leibniz's argument?

It is based on the widely accepted idea that things require explanations.

What is one strength of the Kalam argument?

It is supported by scientific evidence that the universe had a beginning.

Who criticised the cosmological argument by attacking causation?

David Hume.

What was Hume's criticism of causation?

We observe constant conjunction, not necessary connections between causes and effects.

Why is Hume's criticism significant?

It challenges the assumption that everything must have a cause.

Who argued that existence is not a predicate and criticised cosmological arguments?

Immanuel Kant.

What is Kant's criticism?

You cannot define something into existence merely by calling it necessary.

What is the fallacy of composition?

The mistake of assuming that what is true of parts must be true of the whole.

How does the fallacy of composition challenge the cosmological argument?

Even if every part of the universe has a cause, it does not follow that the universe itself has a cause.

How might Hume apply the fallacy of composition?

The universe may not need an explanation simply because its parts do.

What is Russell's criticism of the cosmological argument?

The universe is just there and that is all.

Who famously debated the cosmological argument with Frederick Copleston?

Bertrand Russell.

What did Russell mean by 'the universe is just there'?

The universe may not require any further explanation.

What is one criticism of the Kalam argument?

It assumes that causation applies outside the universe and before time existed.

How might supporters respond to criticisms of infinite regress?

They argue that an infinite chain cannot adequately explain present existence.

What is one weakness of Aquinas' argument?

It does not necessarily prove the God of classical theism.

What is one weakness of Leibniz's argument?

The Principle of Sufficient Reason is not universally accepted.

What is one weakness of the Kalam argument?

The cause of the universe may not be God.

What AO2 comparison is important for OCR?

Whether the existence of the universe is best explained by a necessary being or whether the universe requires no further explanation.