Cosmological argument Flashcards
(23 cards)
What does cosmology mean?
A branch of physics that deals with the nature and beginning of the universe
What does infinite regression mean?
An endless chain of events with no beginning
What are Aquinas’ three way in the cosmological argument?
Motion
Cause
Contingency
Way one: motion
Aquinas concluded that everything requires other ‘actualised’ things in order to move it from potentiality to actuality.
Therefore, he believed that there must be a ‘first mover’ to start off this chain of motion.
What influenced Aquinas’ first way?
His belief in empirical evidence that looks at observation and experience.
Way two: cause
Aquinas argued that things simply do not cause themselves therefore there must b something which causes a cause.
Hence, he argues that there must be an ‘uncaused causer’ which is God.
Who influenced Aquinas’ second way?
Aristotle and his belief in the efficient cause - what brings something about.
Way three: contingency
Aquinas argued that everything in the world is contingent meaning it is dependant on something else for its existence.
Therefore, there must be necessary being that is not contingent, this must be God.
What does Leibniz say?
He came up with the ‘Principle of Sufficient Reason’ which states that everything must have a reason, it can’t be random.
What is Hume’s main criticism of the cosmological argument?
Inductive reasoning (observations) can only lead to probable and not certain answers.
Just because we observe cause and effect in some parts of nature this does not mean we can extend this principle to everything.
Bertrand Russel’s criticism of the cosmological argument
Calls Aquinas’ argument a ‘fallacy of composition’ - inferring something is true of the whole when it may only be for one part.
Kant’s criticism of the cosmological argument
Argued that the ‘necessary being’ was incoherent - our knowledge is limited to the phenomenal world so we cannot speculate over what may exist outside of time and space.
Aquinas’ argument is convincing
- We do observe motion and change, cause and effect and how things rely on one another - this is something logical to assume.
- Aquinas does not just explain how the universe exists but also why.
Aquinas’ cosmological argument is not convincing
- Just because things in the world are contingent this does not mean that the universe has to be contingent (fallacy of composition)
- The necessary being does not have to be God by logic.
- It is impossible to observe the cause if the effect of the universe hence maybe we should agree with an existentialist view.
A posteriori knowledge
Reasoning or knowledge based upon evidence
A priori knowledge
Reasoning and knowledge gained independently from experience, and through deduction
Inductive reasoning
Observations and experience allows you to reach a broad and general conclusion
Deductive reasoning
Using facts and knowledge to reach a conclusion - if the premises are true then the conclusion must be true
What is Hume’s example of twenty particles?
We can explain why each of the twenty particles is in place but we don’t need to ask what is the cause for the whole.
This explains how just because parts within the universe have a cause, it does not follow that the whole universe has a cause.
What does Hume challenge about God?
Hume challenges the assertion that God is a special case, an unmoved mover, an uncaused causer or necessary being.
He poses the question that the universe could be contingent itself.
What does Hume say about infinite regression and who supports this?
Hume questions why we should not accept the possibility of infinite regress - it is possible that the chain of cause has no beginning.
Mackie supports the idea of infinite regress being possible with his example of infinite hooks, each linked to the previous one in infinite chains.
Why are Hume’s criticisms of the cosmological argument unsuccessful?
We collect observations from the past to make predictions about the future - although this is not certain, this is how we live.
Anscombe - humans always ask why - example of a magician pulling a rabbit out of their hat, we don’t believe there is not a cause for the rabbit - this is a valid question.
Hume assumes that infinite regress is possible, but it is equally impossible to verify.
What is Craig’s posteriori reasoning against infinite regress?
The evidence from modern cosmology suggests the universe had a beginning due to the evidence for the big bang theory.
