Notes covering the H573/01 Philosophy of Religion topic of the Cosmological Argument, with explanation and notes covering all the necessary content for the exams.
The Cosmological Argument is one of the oldest arguments to prove the existence of God,
and essentially based on the idea of cause and effect. It tries to satisfy a need to explain the
universe’s existence, and places God beyond the universe.
Briefly the argument is based on the claim that everything existing in the universe exists
because it was causes by something else; that “something” was itself also caused by
something else. However, it is necessary for something to have started it all off – something
which did not and was not itself caused / created. That “something” is God, according to
Thomas Aquinas.
o This argument is:
A Posteriori.
Synthetic.
Inductive.
Ockham’s Razor: the idea that the simplest idea is often the correct one.
(A) Posteriori arguments: based on evidence which already exists. The arguments are post
evidence. A Posteriori statements do not contain the conclusion but argue to a conclusion
based on evidence.
Deductive Arguments: Given the premises, there can be no other conclusion.
o The conclusion is implied by the premises – flows directly from it. It is necessary.
Premise 1 – My birthday is in June
Premise 2 – It is my birthday today
Conclusion – We are in June.
Inductive arguments: Given the circumstances, the conclusion becomes a statement of what
is the most probable.
o Therefore, one can agree with the premises, yet still disagree with the conclusion.
o The premises support he conclusion, but do not make it necessary.
Premise 1 – Many Buddhist people practice Yoga
Premise 2 – John is a Buddhist
Conclusion – John practices Yoga.
Thomas Aquinas:
Thomas Aquinas’s five ways:
o First three are cosmological, the fourth is ontological and the fifth is teleological.
o The first three are as follows:
Motion
Cause
Contingency
Causation: He believed that you could prove God’s existence through A Posteriori. This was
one of his key ideas, as he believed that everything had a first cause (God).
When Thomas Aquinas was developing the Cosmological Argument in his book Summa
Theologica he drew upon Plato for inspiration.
Plato said that change is brought about by something external to the subject.
There is a self-moving principle from what all change and motion originate.
o This principle is the soul (for Plato). It is the soul that is responsible for the world as
it is.
Aquinas believed that God had inspired him, even though most of his ideas were plagiarised
from Plato.
, Dillon Precious The Cosmological Argument
Saint Thomas Anselm:
“God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.”
If you can think of something greater than “God” than by definition that must be “God.”
However, this does not tell us anything about the nature of God. Also, it is very subjective, as
it depends on what your greatest conceived opinion is.
Synthetic and Analytic:
Analytic: something that is true by definition – e.g., my dad is male.
o The truth is in the definition of the subject.
Synthetic: the truth can only be determined by experience / observation – e.g., mechanics
are good at fixing things.
o The truth is not in the definition of the subject, it needs to be proven.
Inductive = synthetic = a posteriori
Deductive = analytic = a priori
The universe needs an explanation. It cannot be explained without reference to causes
outside of itself, as it is contingent.
Contingent vs necessary:
o Contingent: depends on something else for its existence / truth. It could be false.
o Necessary: does not depend on anything else to exist / be true. To deny it would be
a contradiction. It could not be false.
Necessary existence, basically, it must exist and does not rely on anything
else.
o If the universe is contingent, then it relies on something else to exist. That
“something else” must come before the universe. If X causes Y – then X must exist
first, or Y would not exist.
o The universe cannot be self-causing, as it is contingent. Therefore, only the existence
of a first, necessary, uncaused cause can explain its origin.
The cosmological argument wants a whole, complete explanation.
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