Cosmological argument

Cosmological argument uses Inductive proof. uses cosmos as starting point. Valid - No mistakes in the logic Sound - No mistakes in the logic and the premises are true Thomas Aquinas Gottfried Leibniz David Hume (critic - atheist philosopher) Bertrand Russell (atheist)

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”

Romans 1:19-20. The universe provides proof for the existence of God.

‘a posteriori’

The nature of the cosmological argument. Conclusions drawn from observation (i.e: using evidence). BUT what about human error? Observation is subjective.

Natural theology

A movement the cosmological argument is part of - seeks to understand existence +nature of God through looking at things we observe in the world around us. Reassures people that their belief makes sense, providing reasoning and evidence.

Inductive proof

C argument is an inductive argument constructed on evidence and/or experience that puts forward a possible conclusion based on these. Use evidence of the natural world to prove God's existence.

(Infinite) Regress

Returning to a former place or movement in a backwards direction. (Going back infinitely)

Thomas Aquinas says there cannot be infinite regress. There has to be a starting point.

The 5 ways

1. From motion

2. From efficient cause

3. From contingency and necessity

4. (From grades of perfection in things)

5. (From design)

Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica his collection of works. He details 5 different arguments to prove that God exists. The first 3 are different forms of C argument.

“But this cannot go on to infinite because then there would be no first mover… Therefore it is necessary to arrive at the first mover, moved by no other; and this is how everyone understands God to be”

Summa Theologica. Way 1 - the idea that the chain of motion in the world can’t regress infinitely, so there must be a prime, unmoved mover - God.

“It is certain, and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is in motion is put in motion by another…”

Summa Theologica - Way 1. A posteriori evidence in argument.

1. Things move from a state of potentiality to actuality

2. Prime Mover.

Aristotle’s (Ancient Greek philosopher) influence on Aquinas.

1. Ability to change means there must have been a prime mover. (e.g: Block of marble →Statue: cause of the statue was the sculptor)

2. the unverse displays evidence of being ina constant casual chain. This can’t go on forever, so there must be a starting point: Prime mover.

“There is no case know in which a thing is found to be the efficient cause of itself, for it would be prior to itself which is impossible”

Thomas Aquinas - Nothing causes itself! (Way 2)

“It is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God”

Thomas Aquinas - God is the only efficient cause (Way 2)

“If at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist…which is absurd”

Thomas Aquinas - there must be a necessary being to start all existence (Way 3)

“And it is that which we call God”

Thomas Aquinas - God was the First Cause, Mover, and Independent being

“If the Cosmological Argument succeeds, then the uncaused cause, the unmoved mover, the being having of itself its own necessity, is clearly different from anything within the universe”

Peter Vardy - ‘The Puzzle of God’. C Argument defines the nature of God as being transcendent, infinite and immeasurable.

“Praise to God, Lord of the Universe”

“He is the One who created for you everything on Earth”

Surah 1-2. The Quran. Supports the idea of God as the ultimate creator/beginning.

“Every being which begins has a cause for its beginning; now the world is a being which begins; therefore, it possesses a cause for its beginning”

Al-Ghazali - Summarises the Kalam Argument

“On the basis…of both philosophical and scientific evidence, we have good grounds for believing that the universe began to exist”

William Lane Craig - He modernised the K argument to prove that the universe must have a cause for its existence

“the Uncaused First Cause..must transcend space and time, since it created space and time. Therefore, it must be immaterial and non-physical. It must be unimaginably powerful, since it created all matter and energy”

William Lane Craig - The nature of the First Cause must be supreme

“I think that it can be plausibly argued that the cause of the universe must be a personal creator”

William Lane Craig - the creator of the universe must be a personal agent, due to the intricacy of our world

“When we say that something is potentially infinite, infinity serves merely as an ideal limit which is never reached”

William Lane Craig - explaining how potential infinity is possible but not actual infinity

“Hilbert’s Hotel is absurd. Since nothing hangs on the illustration’s involving a hotel, the argument can be generalised to show that the existence of an actually infinite number of things is absurd”

William Lane Craig on Hilbert’s hotel

“One familiar example is the creation of elementary particles in an accelerator. However, what occurs in this situation is the conversion of one type of matter”

William Lane Craig quoting Christopher Isham (quantum cosmologist). Argues against elementary particular argument - are not being created by themselves!

“we do not know what caused the Big Bang. Such a question may be beyond the reach of science and shows the point at which philosophy must take over. Effectively it labels the explanation for the existence of the Big Bang as ‘God’. “

Peter Vardy - the Puzzle of God. God could have created the Big Bang