Cosmological Argument

The word ‘cosmos’ refers to the universe as an ordered, harmonious and holistic entity. The Cosmological argument therefore argues for the existence of God a posteriori based on the apparent order in the universe.

THOMAS AQUINAS
Central to Thomism – the life work of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – March 7, 1274) is the idea that Philosophy can help us come to a better understanding of Theology – the study of God. Aquinas thus asked the question: is it obvious that there is a God? His answer was no – since such a concept is beyond all direct human experience. He then asked the question: can it be made obvious? Aquinas believed that, since the universe is God’s creation, evidence of God’s existence can be found in his creation using intellect and reason. Aquinas therefore devised his ‘Five Ways,’ five a posteriori proofs for the existence of God based on our empirical experience of the universe.

AQUINAS’ FIVE WAYS
The Cosmological argument is based on the first three of Aquinas’ Five Ways

1) THE ARGUMENT FROM MOTION (The ‘Kalam’ argument)
• Everything in the world is moving or changing
• Nothing can move or change by itself
• There cannot be an infinite regress of things changing other things
• Therefore there must be a Prime Mover (or changer)
• This is called God

2) THE ARGUMENT FROM CAUSATION
• Everything in the world has a cause
• Nothing is the cause of itself
• There cannot be an infinite regress of causes
• Therefore there has to be a first cause to start the chain of causes
• This first cause we call God

3) THE ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY
• Everything in the world is contingent (can either exist or not exist)
• If things can not exist, there must have been a time when they did not exist
• If everything in the world can not exist, there must have been a time when nothing existed
• Things exist now so…