IB Philosophy of Religion: Cosmological argument
Illustrating some of the main philosophers and theories of the cosmological argument - more will be added soon
- Created by: Milly
- Created on: 08-04-13 12:00
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- The cosmological argument
- Aquninas
- Universe is in a constant state of flux
- Causes come before their effects
- But this concept of cause and effect cannot regress into infinity
- Everything that moves has a mover
- Weaknesses
- If everything in existence has a cause, what is the cause of God
- If he is static then he can do nothing so cannot cause. If he is dynamic he must be moving, which implies he has a mover
- God must either be static or dynamic.
- If he is static then he can do nothing so cannot cause. If he is dynamic he must be moving, which implies he has a mover
- In the Islamic version, the Kalam cause argument, there is no reference to God. It could be used to justify numerous arguments, including scientific theories
- Universe may be infinite with no time of nothingness
- If everything in existence has a cause, what is the cause of God
- The Kalam argument
- When there are two equally possible events (the universe existing or not existing ) something has to will one of the possibilities into existence
- Weaknesses
- Relies on infinity not existing
- Infinite numbers
- Circles have no end
- Must the cause be God?
- Relies on infinity not existing
- William Lane Craig
- Universe cannot be infinite as you cannot add to an infinite amount
- The past is a succession of events added to each other
- Potential infinity
- Like the future - events are constantly being added to the sum total
- Potential infinity
- The past is a succession of events added to each other
- Actual infinity
- A mathematical concept from set theory, referring to infinite numbers as part of a set
- The world could not have come about by random forces of nature because before the universe began there were no natural laws
- The world must have come about through personal choice
- There must have been a personal being who freely chose to bring the universe into existence
- Strengths
- logical yet maintains adequate detail
- well reasoned and inclusive of all religions
- alludes to science which appeals to many people. Making it a good counter argument
- Universe cannot be infinite as you cannot add to an infinite amount
- Ed Miller
- An adaption of the Kalam argument centered on time
- If the universe is infinite with an infinite number of days then we would not reach today
- Based on the idea that today is the end of an infinite series of days
- Why should today be assumed to be the end of the series, is it not in the middle of the series.
- Today could therefore exist , as though the number scale is infinite we still have numbers in the middle of this scale...1, 99, 364, 9889676
- If the universe is infinite with an infinite number of days then we would not reach today
- Weaknesses
- Seems to be greater leaps in logic than other more compelling causation arguments
- Why should today be assumed to be the end of the series, is it not in the middle of the series.
- Today could therefore exist , as though the number scale is infinite we still have numbers in the middle of this scale...1, 99, 364, 9889676
- Why should today be assumed to be the end of the series, is it not in the middle of the series.
- Seems to be greater leaps in logic than other more compelling causation arguments
- An adaption of the Kalam argument centered on time
- Fredrick Copleston
- The universe is the sum of all things that exist, these things are contingent meaning that they rely on other things to bring them into existence
- The analogy of society could be used- society does not exist without the people within it
- The cause of the universe must be external to the universe itself
- A self causing , necessary being
- The universe is the sum of all things that exist, these things are contingent meaning that they rely on other things to bring them into existence
- Russell
- The universe is just there and that's all
- Brute fact
- Seems as unsatisfactory as an unjustified argument of only God breaking the law of cause and effect
- Concept of cause cannot be applied to the total
- He seems to lack curiosity into this matter
- Unlike his usual inquisitive and scientific approach
- The universe is just there and that's all
- David Hume
- Argued against the a first cause of the universe
- Everything within the universe having a cause does not necessarily mean the universe itself has a cause
- John L Mackie
- Responded to criticisms of Aquinas' argument
- Defended the idea that infinite regression cannot exist
- It is illogical to have an infinite number of train carriages as there must be a driver
- Anthony Kenny
- Based on Newton's first law of motion
- A body's velocity would remain unchanged unless some other force acted upon it
- Tried to disprove Aquinas
- Believed a body could only be in one of two states stationary or moving at a constant rate - without an external force
- Weaknesses
- The universe is not moving at a constant rate, most scientists currently belive that it is decelerating
- If Newton's Law was maintained then would this not show that there was an external force
- Couldn't this external force be the very God Kenny was trying to disprove
- Do the laws of logic and science break down
- If cause and effect cannot be applied to the universe then why can Newton's law?
- The universe is not moving at a constant rate, most scientists currently belive that it is decelerating
- Based on Newton's first law of motion
- Gottfried Leibniz
- Why is there something rather than nothing?
- The argument from sufficient reason
- There must be an ultimate reason for the world's existence
- The reason for the world must be external to it
- There must be a being that can create the world's existence
- Must necessarily exist
- The is what is called God
- Aquninas
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