Strengths and weaknesses of the cosmological argument.

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Advantages

  • Saying the universe has always existed is not a sufficient reason to explain its existence.
  • Science supports a beginning to the universe. The big bang theory suggests that the universe is not infinite.
  • As we are constantly adding events to time, time can not be infinite as you can not add to infinity.
  • Copleston would argue that there must be a first cause to explain the existence of the universe.

Disadvantages

  • Even if we accept that there is an uncaused cause, must this be the God of Christianity?Could it not simply be the big bang-a scientific, not a religious event,
  • Saying the universe has always existed is not a sufficient reason to explain its existence
  • Steady state theory is challenge to the cosmological argument as it rejects the idea of a beginning to the universe. This theory provides a scientific explanation that would undermine the cosmological argument.
  • Aquinas argues that all things have a cause but that God does not. This is a direct contradiction of his own argument . Why is God the exception to the rule?
  • The cosmological argument is a fallacy of composition because it assumes that just because each part of the universe is caused it does not mean that the universe as a whole was caused.

Evaluation

There are more weaknesses than strengths to Aquinas' cosmological argument.

Comments

Joe Walker13

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With the evaluation you would have to assess the strength of the arguments, not just the number of arguments on each side.