The Cosmological Argument

Question 1

What are the two types of argument, what do they mean?

Answer 1

A priori - based off logic
A posteriori - based off experience

Question 2

Which type of argument is more convincing?

Answer 2

A priori is deductive; more watertight as is it as necessary conclusion.
A posteriori is inductive; you come to a probable conclusion.

Question 3

What is Aquinas’ first proof?

Answer 3

Motion and change: If we go back, the first change needs an agent of change, this is what everyone understands as God.

Question 4

What is Aquinas’ second proof?

Answer 4

Cause and effect: you cannot have a last cause or any causes in between without a first cause, this is what everyone understands as God.

Question 5

What is Aquinas’ third proof?

Answer 5

Contingency: If everything has a point where it didn’t exist, then there was a point where the universe didn’t exist - this means there would’ve been nothing. Something cannot come from nothing, so something from out of the universe must’ve created it, this is what everyone understands as God.

Question 6

What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument?

Answer 6

1) Everything that begins to exist has a cause
2) The universe began to exist
3) The universe had a cause
4) That cause is God

Question 7

What’re the advantages of the Cosmological argument?

Answer 7

Logic based
Based on what we experience
Current science agrees with the theory

Question 8

What is the name of Hume’s important book?

Answer 8

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Part II

Question 9

What are the two most important of Hume’s criticisms?

Answer 9

2) There could be an infinite regress of universes so at no point would there have been nothing.
4) Can’t use experience of cause and effect inside the universe to assume the universe has a cause. “fallacy of composition” - We haven’t watched the universe be caused so we can’t be sure it ever was

Question 10

Who criticised Hume’s second criticism?

Answer 10

Gottfried Leibniz; “principle of sufficient reason”
He believed Hume’s second criticism wasn’t sufficient enough to be final. Even if a thing exists eternally, there must be a reason for it’s eternal existence. (Example of a train carriage being pulled by another carriage, when in reality they’re all pulled by the engine)

Question 11

How did Kant criticise The Cosmological Argument?

Answer 11

1) The notion of a necessary being is incoherent
2) How can we use knowledge from inside the universe to conclude what happens outside of it?