The Cosmological Argument

The Cosmological Argument

The cosmological argument is the argument for the existence of God, it is also known as the first cause argument. This is an a posteriori argument as it is based on what we can see in the world and the universe, it is therefore dependent on evidence or experience.

The arg is based on the belief that there is a first cause behind the existence of the universe (cosmos).

The claim is that the universe cannot account for its own existence and so this argument seeks causes that have their solution in the existence of a God. Plato argued that every created thing must be created by some cause. 

Aquinas put foward five arguments known as the Five Ways, these are all a posteriori and have as their staring point some observation or experience of the universe, the first three 'ways' are different variations of the cosmological argument.

The First Way- The Unmoved Mover (PM)

There are various types of motion (change) e.g. change of place, change of size and change of state.  Aquinas was concerned with the change of state, here movement has the sense of moving from potentiality to actuality. 

Potentiality= undeveloped qualities: the capacity for being something more than is already present

Actuality= the way in which something exists in the present moment

Whatever is moved, must be moved by another, which itself was moved. If we trace back we must arrive at a first mover, moved by no other, this is what we understand God. Expressed formally:

• Everything that is in motion (change) is moved (changed) by something else
• Infinite regress is impossible
• Therefore there must be an unmoved mover, causing movement in everything, without itself actually being moved.
• The unmoved moveris what people understand by God. 

Aquinas was not arguing that the universe necessarily had a beginning. He thought it did, but said you could not reason with that out as it was revealed doctrine. Rather his emphasis was on dependency. 

Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle in his first way.

The Second Way- The Uncaused Causer

• Every effect or event requires a cause
• Infinate regress is impossible
• The universe is an effect (event)
• Therefore there must be a first cause- this is God.

Everything that happens has a cause. The cause itself has a cause. Something cannot cause itself for this would mean it preceded itself and this is impossible, hence, the need for an uncaused cause, namely God.

One of the differences between these two 'ways' is that in the first, attention is centred on the fact that things are acted upon, whereas in the second, the attention is on things as agents ( doint the acting upon) 

The first cause sees God as a factual necessity as the causal expl to the universe, this means God is seen as a being who is not dependent on any other for His existence. 

According to Aquinas there are causes and effects in the world. This implies that there must be a first…