The Cosmological Argument

Question 1

Thomas Aquinas

Answer 1

(1225-1274)

Summa Theologica

Question 2

P1

Answer 2

Everything in the universe has a cause

Question 3

P2

Answer 3

The universe itself has a cause

Question 4

P3

Answer 4

To avoid infinite regress of causes, must be an uncaused cause

Question 5

C

Answer 5

This uncaused cause is God

Question 6

Motion

Answer 6

There can’t be an infinite chain of moves

There must be a first, unmoved mover that caused motion in all things

The first unmoved mover is God

Question 7

Cause

Answer 7

Something cannot bring itself into existence

The universe is constantly changing, and everything in existence has a cause

A chain of causes and effects cannot regress to infinity

There must be a first uncaused causer, God

Question 8

Contingency

Answer 8

Matter in the universe is contingent (it is caused and comes into being)

Therefore at one point in time, there was nothing in existence

Everything in the universe is contingent except for god

Question 9

Infinite Regress

Answer 9

You can continue to go because forever, the cosmological argument rejects infinite regress

Question 10

Fallacy of composition

Answer 10

The error of assuming that what is true of a member of a group is true for the group as a whole

Question 11

Fallacy

Answer 11

A failure in reasoning which makes an argument invalid