Cosmological Argument Flashcards
What type of argument is the Cosmological Argument? (3)
A posteriori
Inductive
Focuses on contingency and necessity
What is Aquinas’ 3rd Way: Part One?
Because everything in world is contingent, must have been time when nothing existed but out of nothing, nothing can come but things do now exist
— something must have existed necessarily
What is Aquinas’ 3rd Way: Part Two?
Everything necessary must be caused or uncaused which Aquinas refers to infinite regress of necessary things but then would be no ultimate cause of series so no series
— must be uncaused necessary being responsible for existence of all caused and contingent beings
Criticisms: HUME & RUSSELL (6)
- Aquinas guilty of fallacy of composition
- Reject idea of concept of necessary being
- Suggest universe may be a necessarily existent being
- Existence of universe is a brute fact
- Possibility of infinite regress
- Nothing can be said about nature of God as a necessarily-existent being
Value of Cosmological Argument as Proof: FOR (2)
Not deductive
Will never convince atheists
Value of Cosmological Argument as Proof: AGAINST (2)
Most things accepted as true based on inductive arguments
May give reasoned proof of existence of God as necessary uncaused cause
Status of Cosmological Argument for Religious Faith: FOR (3)
Reasonable hypothesis
Concept is easy to understand
Supported by Design Argument
Status of Cosmological Argument for Religious Faith: AGAINST (3)
Not all theists accept it
Aquinas didn’t think it was sufficient on its own
Limited as doesn’t indicate God of Christian theism
Weaknesses of Cosmological Argument (5)
Fallacy of Composition
Universe as necessarily existent being
Universe as brute fact
Infinite regression
One necessary being
Counter arguments of Weaknesses of Cosmological Argument (5)
Not always case
Matter argument no stronger than mind argument
Explanation
Something rather than nothing
Occam’s Razor
