Cosmological Argument
- Created by: hshafiq
- Created on: 13-02-19 19:09
View mindmap
- Cosmological Argument
- The CA is an inductive argument based on the empirical belief that all causes must have a cause.
- This argument is to prove God's existence and the initial causer is God, Himself.
- The CA is influenced by key philosophers, known as Aquinas and William Lane Craig (Kalam Argument)
- An example of cause and effect is when someone kicks a ball in order for it to move. the cause was the person kicking it but the effect was the ball moving.
- Aquinas' Cosmological Argument
- Aquinas' work is influenced by Greek philosopher, Aristotle and Muslim Thinker, Avicenna.
- Aquinas' CA is split up into 3 ways, which are all compiled in his five ways. The first way is the Unmoved Mover, the second, the Uncaused Causer and the third, Contingency & necessity
- The Unmoved Mover: Aquinas observed (empirical/a-posteriori) things that were in motion. he defined the word motion as something continuously changing from one state to another, e.g water.
- Aquinas came to the conclusion that if something has the potential to change it has to have something acted upon it to change. However the number of causes cannot go back a number of times and therefore, the efficient cause is God.
- The Uncaused Causer: it is a universal belief that every effect in the universe has a cause. Aquinas argued that it is logically impossible for something to cause itself.
- Aquinas argued that the intermediate cause of something also needs a cause. This is because out of nothing comes nothing. However, the number of causes cannot go back an infinite number of times and therefore must go back to the first cause which is beyond the universe, God.
- Contingency & necessity: This is the idea that everything that exists now, once did not exist and in the future it will also cease to exist. The was a time before us and there will also be a time after us.
- Aquinas argues that everything in the universe is contingent on a non contingent being, beyond the universe. Aquinas refers to this being as the necessary being, known as God.
- Untitled
- The CA is an inductive argument based on the empirical belief that all causes must have a cause.
Comments
No comments have yet been made