Cosmological Argument Flashcards
(69 cards)
What central question does Leibniz pose in support of cosmological arguments?
“Why is there something rather than nothing?”
What do cosmological arguments attempt to prove?
That God’s existence is the required explanation of what exists.
What kind of argument is the cosmological argument typically?
A posteriori, based on observation of the world.
What is the conclusion drawn from cosmological arguments?
That a first cause or necessary being is the only explanation for the origin of what exists.
Into what two categories can cosmological arguments be divided?
Arguments based on causation and arguments based on contingency.
What does Aquinas mean by ‘motion’ in his First Way?
Any kind of change—understood as the actualisation of a potential.
What is Aquinas’ First Way (from motion) in premise-conclusion form?
P1. We observe motion.
P2. Motion is the actualization of a thing’s potential.
P3. A thing can only be in motion if moved.
P4. A mover must be actual.
P5. A thing cannot move itself.
C1. All motion comes from something else.
P6. Without a first mover, no motion would exist now.
C2. There must be an unmoved first mover (pure actuality): God.
What is Aquinas’ Second Way (from efficient causation) in premise-conclusion form?
P1. We observe efficient causation.
P2. Nothing can cause itself.
P3. There is a logical order of causes (first, intermediate, ultimate).
P4. If the first cause doesn’t exist, neither does the effect.
C1. There must be a first cause.
C2. An infinite regress is impossible.
C3. The first cause is uncaused: God.
What kind of causation does Aquinas use in the First and Second Ways?
Aristotelian efficient causation.
What is the difference between sustaining and temporal causation in Aquinas’ view?
Sustaining causation happens simultaneously and is ontologically dependent, while temporal causation is sequential over time.
What is an example of temporal causation (per accidens/in fieri)?
A father creates a son, who independently creates his own son.
Why can temporal causes exist without their original causes?
Because each member of a temporal sequence has its own independent causal power.
What is an example of sustaining causation (per se/in esse)?
A hand moves a stick which moves a stone—all at the same time.
Why is sustaining causation ‘atemporal’?
Because all causes and effects happen simultaneously and depend on a higher cause, not sequential time.
What is meant by ‘ontologically first’ in Aquinas’ argument?
The first cause is supreme in the hierarchy of causes, not first in time but in dependence.
How does Copleston describe Aquinas’ idea of causal order?
A present causal hierarchy, not a past sequence.
What does Aquinas say about infinite temporal causal series?
He allows they could exist because each member has independent causal power.
What is Aquinas’ view on infinite sustaining series?
Even if infinite, they still require a primary cause to explain their causal power.
How does Edward Feser illustrate the need for a primary cause in a sustaining series?
A paintbrush cannot move itself even if its handle is infinitely long.
What quality must the first sustaining cause have according to Feser?
Absolutely independent causal power—pure actuality.
What is Copleston’s interpretation of Aquinas’ argument?
Without a first unmoved mover or cause, there would be no motion or causation now.
What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument’s structure?
P1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
P2. The universe began to exist.
C1. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
Who developed and named the modern Kalam Cosmological Argument?
William Lane Craig.
Why does Craig say the cause of the universe must be personal?
Because scientific explanation only works within the universe. The universe’s origin must be by intelligent design.
