Philosophy - Criticisms and Counters of the Cosmological argument
- Created by: Tori
- Created on: 21-01-20 15:44
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- Criticsms and Counters of the Cosmological argument
- Criticism1) Fallacy of Composition
- This is inferring that something is true for the whole when it's true for part of the whole, or even every part of the whole - correlation doesn't imply causation
- Counter 1) Taxicab Fallacy
- Copleston says that Russell is following the logical pathway until just before it gets to a conclusion that he doesn't like, then 'jumps out of the taxi without paying the fare'. If the logic points to a certain conclusion, how that can be a logical fallacy?
- Criticism 2) Aseity
- Aseity is the concept of rejecting a necessary being. For something to be necessary you can't have to check it's existance - 'Maths is real' is an analytic statement as it's proven fact. 'God is real' is a synthetic statement as it's not a proven fact. A synthetic statement can't be something that's necessary.
- Counter 2) Metaphysical Necessity
- Anslem is refering to a different type of necessity when talking about God. He's necessary as all contingent things rely on him being necessary to exist, and without him nothing could exist. Dofferent category of necessity compared to maths.
- Criticism 3) Universe could be the Necessary thing
- Why must God be the necessary thing? It's simpler for the universe to be necessary as then you only have to have one necessary entity (matter), rather than two if it was God (mind and matter).
- Counter 3) Caused vs Uncaused
- Aquinas agreed that you could have necessary matter, but he believed it would have to be caused matter, which would still mean there needs to be an uncaused necessasry being to create it.
- Criticism 4) Universe is a Brute Fact
- Russel argues that the universe doesn't need an explaination. He argues it's so vast and extensive that there doesn't have to be a viable explaination to it. It is there just because it is - infinite regress is irrelevant.
- Counter 4) Argument of Sufficient Reason
- It's not good enough to just say something is there 'just because'. Quotes Libeniz "Why something rather than nothing?" - everything must have a reason.
- Criticism1) Fallacy of Composition
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