Theories of Reality - Cosmological and Teleological Arguments

Flashcards on Cosmological and Teleological Arguments

Cosmological Argument (Causal Argument)

Argues that the universe didn't create itself and requires an external cause.

Cosmological Argument (Contingency Argument)

Argues for a necessary being to explain the existence of contingent beings.

Problem with the Universe Creating Itself

The universe had to exist to bring itself into existence, which is paradoxical.

Aquinas' Critique of Infinite Regress of Causes

An infinite chain of causes doesn't explain the origin of causation.

Dominoes Analogy

Analogy to illustrate the need for an initial cause.

Infinite Chain Analogy

Analogy to illustrate the need for a foundation or explanation.

Infinite Train Analogy

Analogy to illustrate the need for a source of locomotion and power.

Conclusion of the Causal Argument

There must be an ultimate explanation for cause and effect.

Turtles All the Way Down

The idea that the world rests on a giant elephant which rests on a tortoise, and so on infinitely.

Kalam's Version of the Cosmological Argument

Everything that begins to exist has a cause.

God as a Special Case

God is the uncaused cause.

Objection: Eternal Universe

The universe has always existed, negating the need for a cause.

Quantum Physics and Counterintuitive Findings

Crazy things happen in the world.

Grading Absurdity

Infinite being vs. Infinite series of finite causes.

Composition Fallacy

Just because something is true of the parts, doesn't mean it's true of the whole.

Application of Composition Fallacy to Cosmological Argument

Each and every thing in the universe has a cause of its existence doesn't mean the universe itself has a cause of its existence.

Quantum Fluctuation

Some weird physics thing.

Assuming Attributes of God

Assuming the cause is conscious or has an intention.

Attributes of God

A spiritual being, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient with a mind, with all knowledge, with all power, with the ground of morality.

Joseph Smith's Translation of Genesis

Council of the Gods and concocted the plan to make the world.

God Exists Now

That God created the universe and then something happened to him.

Cosmology

The big bang theory and the steady state theory.

Red Shift

Galaxies are moving away from each other.

Extrapolating Back Out Physically

Everything was this compact mass that was smaller than an atom, all packed together.

God's Role in the Big Bang

God did it.

The Big Crunch

The universe would just keep on expanding, expanding, expanding, and then gravity will cause it to begin contracting.

Momentum of the Big Bang

Big bang is making everything go, away from from everything else faster and faster and faster.

Slingshot Effect

After the big crunch, you get a subsequent big bang.

The Big Chill

The universe is eventually gonna run out of usable energy.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Einstein says that that time is part of a time space continuum, and it's relative.

Contingency Argument

A world, consisting of a series of dependent temporary beings couldn't exist on its own.

God Must Exist to Keep Things

There must be some independent being keeping those dependent beings in existence.

Universe is Necessary

The universe is necessary, and it's filled with contingent beings.

Law of Count Conservation of Mass and Energy

Matter and energy are interchangeable and that that it's cons that matter and energy are conserved.

The Design Argument

Order complexity and purpose comes from a designing mind.