The Cosmological Argument

?
What is the Cosmological argument
An argument that claims to prove the existence of God via causation.
1 of 20
What type of argument is it?
Aposteriori
2 of 20
What is an infinite regress?
Chain of cause that can't go back forever but rather a prime mover.
3 of 20
Name the type of God the argument is trying to prove.
God of Classical Theism
4 of 20
What does the argument say?
Everything exists and has a cause of its existence, the universe exists, the universe must have a cause, the only thing we know to have the power to cause the universe is God, God must exist.
5 of 20
List which of Aquinas' ways apply to the argument
Motion, cause and contingency
6 of 20
What does he mean by motion?
Everything is in motion and moved by something else, there cannot be an infinite regress, there must have been a starting point, that point was God
7 of 20
What does he mean by cause?
Every effect has a cause, this process cant go back forever, there must be a starting cause, that cause is God
8 of 20
What does he mean by contingency?
All things in nature change, every change is caused by something, it is possible that there will be no change for some thing to come into existence and cease to exist, if this is true then at one point there would be nothing, something needs to bring chan
9 of 20
Who is Hume?
A critique of the Cosmological argument
10 of 20
What is the Fallacy of Composition?
It is wrong to move from parts to a whole and because everything has a cause it doesn't mean the universe needs one.
11 of 20
Who supported this and what is his argument?
Bertram Russel with his mother example as all humanity has a mother but we don't share one.
12 of 20
What is the rejection of a beginning?
Why can't the world be infinite? (Bertram Russel Brute Fact)
13 of 20
Explain the rejection of God as a necessary being?
More logical to say it was created by a committee of Gods as it is a inductive leap to suggest it was the Christian God.
14 of 20
What is the difference between reality and speculation?
Experiences can guide us but are not always the truth.
15 of 20
Explain the Fallacy of Affirmation.
We are speculating an idea that God is the creator (Bus example you put your hand out to stop the bus but it doesn't mean you stopped the bus)
16 of 20
What is the Principle of Sufficient Reason?
There must be a sufficient reason for something to exist to explain why the universe exists.
17 of 20
Give a critique of this argument?
Hume=we can imagine something coming into existence without a cause but it's not a incoherent idea.
18 of 20
Give a supporting view of this argument that disproves the critique.
Just because you can imagine something existing without a cause doesn't mean its a possibility.(Elizabeth Anscembe rabbit example)
19 of 20
Explain William Lane Craig's infinite library example.
Nothing can be infinite-imagine an infinite library of books that are red and black in alternating patterns, there must be an equal amount of books if the library is infinite, ideas of infinity only work for concepts e.g mathematical theory.
20 of 20

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What type of argument is it?

Back

Aposteriori

Card 3

Front

What is an infinite regress?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Name the type of God the argument is trying to prove.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What does the argument say?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Religious Studies resources:

See all Religious Studies resources »See all Philosophy resources »