Cosmological argument.

Question 1

What are the key features of the Cosmological argument?

Answer 1

• The Cosmological argument comes from the Greek words ‘cosmos’ meaning universe.
• It uses evidence from the physical world to prove that God exists.
• The argument is that the universe cannot be explained without reference to causes and factors outside of itself.
• The universe is contingent and only the existence of a first, neccessary mover can really explain its origin.
• It is an a posteriori argument as it is based on empirical evidence.
• The Cosmological argument states that the universe comes into existence by the action of an external agent whom we call ‘God.
• The argument states that God is the ultimate, complete explanation for the universe.

Question 2

What premises is it based on?

Answer 2

• There is something rather than nothing.
• The universe did not bring itself into existence.
• A cause was therefore neccessary for the universe to come into existence.
• Only this can explain regularity and purpose of the universe.
• The universe cannot go back forever. It must have a starting point.

Question 3

What are Aquinas’ five ways?

Answer 3

The first way - from motion:
- Nothing can move itself, it needs to be moved by something else, there cannot be be infinite chain of movers that has no beginning. There must be a first mover that caused the first motion, this first mover is God.

The second way - from cause:
- All things are caused, nothing can be caused, therefore there must be a first cause on which others depend and for Aquinas this first cause is called God.

The third way - from neccessity and contingency:
- Everything in the universe is dependent on other factors beyond itself. Therefore there must be a neccessary being dependent on nothing, therefore God exists out of neccessity.

Question 4

What is the Kalam argument?

Answer 4

This is the Islamic form of the argument put forward by al-Ghazali and Al-Kindi:

• Everything comes into being has a cause.
• The universe exists therefore it came into being.
• The universe must have a cause.
• The cause exists without needing a cause from something else.
• The cause is non-physical.
• Therefore, the only logical solution is that God is the cause.

Question 5

What did William Craig say about the Design argument?

Answer 5

William developed the Kalam argument for modern times he stated:

• The present momeent exists.
• Therefore time cannot be infinite.
• This means the universe must have a start.
• The universe must have been caused to exist.
• This is called God.
• If God chose to create the world, then God must be a personal being.

Question 6

What are the strengths of the argument?

Answer 6

Frederick Copleston:

• Stated there could not be an infinite chain of contingent beings because they could never have brought themselves into being.
• Everything exists is caused to exist by an external cause.
• Therefore, the universe must have been caused to exist.
• That cause must not depend on anything else.
• Therefore there must be a nerccessary being.

Gottfried Leibniz:

• If the universe had always been in existence, it would still need a sufficient reason for its existence.
• Infinite regress does not offer a complete explanation.
• There is nothing within the universe to show why it exists, so the reason for its existence must lie outside of it.

Richard Swinburne:

• It is extraordinary anything exists at all.
• The most natural state is simply nothing existing.
• Uses Ockham’s Razor - God can explain the purpose and meaning of the universe, therefore we should believe it.
• The Big Bang theory supports the ideas of a start of the universe not infinite regress.

Question 7

What are the weaknesses of the argument?

Answer 7

David Hume:

• Hume dismissed the Cosmological argument stating there is no need to presume the need for a cause.
• There is no need to look for an explanation for the whole universe.
• The concept of a neccessary being does not make sense.
• Even if there was such a being, why should it be God?
• The universe is simply outside our experience.

Immanuel Kant:

• Kant rejected the Cosmological argument.
• He maintained that the idea of a neccessary being was incoherent.
• Our knowledge is limited to the phenomenal world and it is not possible to speculate about what may or may not exist independently of space and time.

Bertrand Russell:

• Russell stated there was no need to seek a cause for the universe as a whole.
• It is a brute fact that the universe is simply here without explanation.
• To seek the start of the universe is to ask a question that has no meaning.