Recap…..
• Thomas Aquinas provided the Cosmological
argument. He was influenced by Aristotle.
• The Cosmological Argument is an a posteriori
argument ( an argument based upon our
experience of the world around us)
• Aquinas argued that the existence of God could
be understood through the argument from
change (motion), cause and contingency.
• Aquinas argued that God is the uncaused cause
and unmoved mover that began the universe,
without whom nothing could possibly exist.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 – 1716) added to
Aquinas’ second way (the argument from CAUSE)
“Suppose the book of the elements of
geometry to have been eternal, one
copy having been written down from
an earlier one. It is evident that even
though a reason can be given for the
present book out of a past one, we
should never come to a full reason.
What is true of the books is also true
of the states of the world. If you
suppose the world eternal you will
suppose nothing but a succession of
states and will not find in any of them
a sufficient reason”.
Theodicy (1710)
• Leibniz based his philosophy on the
ancient idea of Ex nihilo nihi fit (Out of
nothing comes nothing).
• There has to be a ‘complete’ or
‘sufficient’ reason or cause for
everything that exists
• Things do not ‘just happen’ without
good reason
• Example of Geometry books as a series
going back to the author
• There has to be an explanation for the
Universe – a reason or cause.
• The cause of the Universe was itself
uncaused with the reason for its
existence being within itself.
• This uncaused cause was
God!
Kalam means to
‘argue’ or ‘discuss’ in
Arabic.
•
• It was created by
Muslim intellectuals
about 850 AD.
The argument is: the fact
that everything has a
cause is a simple law of
the universe.
Therefore the universe must
have a cause.
The cause must be distinct from its
effect, i.e. if the cause of the universe is
different from the universe itself, then
the cause of the universe must be nonphysical in nature.
The cause is God!
http://www.ucatholic.com/apologetics/thesimplest-most-direct-argument-for-godsexistence/
William Lane Craig
Craig argued:
1) The present moment exists
2) Therefore time cannot be
actually infinite
3) This means that the universe
had a start
4) In order to have come into
existence, the universe must
have been caused to exist
5) This cause is God
6) As God chose to create this
world then God must be a
personal being BECAUSE
personal beings make choices.
William Lane Craig
“If the universe began to
exist, and if the universe
is caused, then the cause
of the universe must be a
personal being who
freely chooses to create
the world….. The Kalam
Cosmological Argument
leads to a personal
creator of the universe”.
The Kalam Cosmological Argument (1979)
http://www.ucatholic.com/apologetics/the-simplest-most-direct-argument-forgods-existence/
Ed Miller: Questions that Matter
5 basic steps of the Kalam Cosmological
Argument:
1.There exists the world (all space
and time)
2.It could not be the cause of itself
3.It could not come from nothing
(ex nihilo nihi fit!)
4.It could not be an effect in an
infinite series of causes
5.It must be caused by something
OUTSIDE of space and time.
Miller’s conclusions
• All contingent, caused beings depend on
some uncaused being for their existence
• The universe is contingent, it must have
had a beginning.
• = The universe must depend on an
uncaused, non-contingent being / starting
point / cause.
• This could be God
Richard Swinburne
Professor Swinburne supports the
Cosmological Argument (although he
acknowledges the possibility that the
universe might have always been there).
God, as the cause of matter and time,
continues to cause time and matter
throughout the passage of time.
i.e. that creation is not a one off event
but God continually creates throughout
time.
The universe continually relies upon God’s continual
creation for its very existence.
If God ceased to exist, so would the universe!
Other arguments in favour of the Cosmological Argument.
Richard Swinburne
“God is simpler
than anything
we can imagine
and therefore
provides the
simplest
explanation
for the
universe”.
F.R. Copleston
Wrote Humanitas (1948):
1. Everything that exists has been caused
to exist by external causes (i.e. things
don’t create themselves).
2. The universe works in this way – it must have a cause
external to itself
3. The cause is not contingent but necessary – a being
that must exist and can not not exist. This being had
the reason for existence within itself and was God.
Therefore The existence of God is essential for the
existence of the universe.
God is a Cause in esse: one which sustains its effect
continuously.
Other arguments in favour of the Cosmological Argument.
Conclusion.
There are many versions of the
Cosmological Argument.
However they all argue that
God is a NECESSARY BEING
who was the INITIAL CAUSE of
the universe, but who also
CONTINUES TO CAUSE the
matter which exists around us.
Seminar topic.
Do you think that Thomas Aquinas is
successful in proving the existence of God?
Do you think that any of the
other versions of the
Cosmological Argument are
more convincing than that
written by Thomas Aquinas?