Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Title: The Cosmological
Theory – The basics
12th May 2016
Starter:
What does
Cosmology
mean to you?
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
A
B
C
Analyse how conclusive this supports God’s
existence?
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Explain the four ways Aquinas uses to prove God exists
Describe the cosmological argument.
C
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
In Religious Studies, ‘Paper 1’ needs you to
analyse how we can prove God exists. In
order to do this we look into ‘Philosophy’ and
use three arguments.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
You will need to
understand each
one and look at
its strengths and
weaknesses for
your exam
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
COSMOS
LOGIA
COSMOLOGY
The Cosmological Argument is based
on the idea of “Principle of sufficient
reason” which is the idea that
“everything must have a reason or
cause.
B
You will need to
understand each
one and look at
its strengths and
weaknesses for
your exam
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Plato
Plato’s book called Timeas states that the world was the creation of a
"Demiurge" (from the Greek "demos" or people and "ourgos" or work) -the most highly placed of gods, working in the "public" interest (Plato, like
the ancient Greeks generally, was a polytheist -- a believer in many gods).
This superior god was by nature good, and so tried to create an image of
itself that was as good as possible. But the Demiurge could not create a
world out of nothing; its powers were more limited than the God of
Genesis.
The Demiurge fashioned the cosmos out of materials provided by a
pre-existing "chaos", or jumble of matter, which the Demiurge organized
into the four elements -- Earth, Water, Air and Fire. These formed the
"body" of the cosmos, which was also endowed with a "soul".
The soul of the cosmos, which Plato considered as its better or more
important part, was its principle of eternal and recurring circular motion,
bringing about the circular motion of the moon, planets, sun and stars.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Plato (428-348 bce)
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
“Shall we say then that it is the soul which controls heaven and
earth”. Laws
Plato’s important distinction was between things that had the
power to move or change both themselves and others - Primary
movers; and those things which could only move or change others
once they had been moved – Secondary movers.
Only souls can be primary movers – so whatever caused the
universe must be a soul.
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Plato (390-323 bce)
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
“The series must start with something, since nothing can come
from nothing” Metaphysics
Aristotle believed all changes must come from some ultimate
source. It is not possible for there not to be a first cause, as if
there were not, there would be nothing. There is no manner in
which the universe would come into being out of nothing
owing to no action (!) therefore there must have been an initial
cause.
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Thomas Aquinas
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
 St Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274)
believed that the Natural World
provided a lot of evidence for God’s
existence.
 In his work Summa Theologica he set
out Five Ways of proving God’s
existence from this evidence. These
proofs were concerned with the
things people observed and
experienced every day (a posteriori)
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Complete the first page in
your book.
B
Extension: Do you agree with Plato and Aristotle? Explain why.
C
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Analyse how conclusive this supports God’s
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
existence?
Explain the four ways Aquinas uses to prove God exists
Describe the cosmological argument.
B
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
I would struggle to describe the cosmological argument.
I can describe the cosmological argument to some extent
I can describe the cosmological argument easily.
C
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Thomas Aquinas
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
 The first four of the five are
Cosmological, the fifth Teleological.
 The first four ways are as follows:
 Argument for motion
 Argument for cause
B
 Argument for contingency
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
 Argument for degrees
C
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
1st Way
Link to video on website.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
For a thing to change require actuality; whatever brings the change from
potentiality to actuality must itself have achieved the actuality to achieve
this change or movement. If it did not, a thing would have to initiate change
in itself which would require that it is both actual and potential at the same
time. Aquinas considered this to be a contradiction.
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Complete the second page
in your book.
B
Extension: How does this version of God compare to Christian values?
C
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
2nd Way
Link to video on website.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Complete the third page in
your book.
B
Extension: Try to disprove the Third Way.
C
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Lesson Outcomes:
Mr M Banner 2016
A
“Shall we say then that it is the soul
which controls heaven and earth”. Laws
Plato’s important distinction was
between things that had the power to
move or change both themselves and
others - Primary movers; and those
things which could only move or change
others once they had been moved –
Secondary movers.
Only souls can be primary movers – so
whatever caused the universe must be a
soul.
“The series must start with something,
since nothing can come from nothing”
Metaphysics
Aristotle believed all changes must
come from some ultimate source. It
is not possible for there not to be a
first cause, as if there were not, there
would be nothing. There is no manner
in which the universe would come into
being out of nothing owing to no
action (!) therefore there must have
been an initial cause.
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
3rd Way
Link to video on website.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Complete the fourth page in
your book.
B
Extension: Which do you think is the strongest “WAY” and why?
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
4th Way
Link to video on website.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Complete the fifth page in
your book.
B
Extension: Which do you think is the strongest “WAY” and why?
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Analyse how conclusive this supports God’s
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
existence?
Explain the four ways Aquinas uses to prove God exists
Describe the cosmological argument.
B
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
I would struggle to describe the four ways.
I can describe the four ways to some extent
I can describe the four ways easily.
C
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
The Four Ways
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
1. All things are moved by others, and that mover is moved by something
else. You cannot have an infinite chain, so there must be an unmoved
mover: GOD
2. All things are caused and since nothing can be its own cause (logically
impossible) there must be a first cause (uncaused causer) on which all others
depend: GOD
3. Everything which we can point to is dependent upon factors beyond itself
and thus is contingent. These factors demand an ultimate explanation in the
form of a necessary being, dependent on nothing outside itself: GOD
4. In order for us to describe things, they must first be measureable against
something which is perfect. This perfection is: GOD
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
How conclusive are Aquinas’s arguments? Analyse why.
Mind Map – Write down – Draw – Note… some ideas used for
discussion in a few minutes. Remember to explain why in great
detail. Let’s develop those skills.
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
How conclusive are
Aquinas’s
arguments? Analyse
why.
B
C
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
Describe the
cosmological
argument.
Lesson Objective: To explore the cosmological argument
Mr M Banner 2016
Lesson Outcomes:
Analyse how conclusive this supports God’s
Lesson Outcomes:
Grade
A
Analyse how
conclusive this
supports God’s
existence?
existence?
Explain the four ways Aquinas uses to prove God exists
Describe the cosmological argument.
B
Explain the four
ways Aquinas
uses to prove
God exists
I would struggle to analyse the cosmological argument
I can analyse the cosmological argument to some extent
I can analyse the cosmological argument easily
C
Describe the
cosmological
argument.