...The Cosmological Argument The Second Way: The Argument from Causation Aquinas claims that if we look around the world, we will see that things are caused to come into existence by other things. Children are caused to come into existence by their parents, who are in turn caused to some into existence by their parents, etc. We never observe anything causing itself, for this, Aquinas argues, would be absurd. However, the series of causes cannot go back infinitely. If you do not have a first cause, then there cannot be any intermediate causes, or a last. So there must be an uncaused first cause--and this we call God. The Third Way: The Argument From Contingency Contingent vs. Necessary: Before we dive into Aquinas' Third Way, it will help to get a grasp on the difference between contingent things and necessary things. A contingent thing is one that either in fact exists, but might not have, or one that does not in fact exist, but might have. For example, Alumni Hall exists, but it might not have (we can imagine that they just never built it); so Alumni Hall is a contingent thing. Unicorns, on the other hand, do not in fact exist, but it seems possible that they might have; so unicorns are contingent things. There are lots of contingent things: you, me, your parents, my parents, etc. In contrast, a necessary thing is one that in fact exists, but is also something that could not have failed to exist. In other words, it is logically impossible that a necessary being could...
Words: 545 - Pages: 3
...Paper The Proof that God Exists The greatest question that man has ever asked is “Why”, as philosophers it is the only question that one asks. Since the birth of man kind, the question has been asked “where do we come from”; and since the birth of man kind the answer was simple, someone put us here, a person of higher being, a person often referred to as God. As a philosopher and thinker one can not simply believe in the existence of God, but ask the question why; why does God exist. There are many philosophers who dare to answer the “Why” including Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and Thomas Aquinas. In answering this question there has developed three main arguments that focus on the proof for the existence of God; the Teleological, Cosmological, and Ontological arguments. The most difficult of the three arguments to understand is the Ontological argument, for it is purely logical proof; it attempts to argue from the idea of God to His necessary existence. Simply put the ontological argument attempts to prove the existence of God by stating God exists because he must. “While from the fact that I cannot conceive God without existence, it follows that existence is inseparable from Him, and hence that He really exists. For it is not within my power to think of God without existence.”(Descartes 135) Simply put, in the entire world there is a greatest, a number one, in every aspect of competition there is someone in which never loses. God must exist because there has to be a perfect...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...The cosmological argument (i) Examine the view that the cosmological argument provides an explanation for the world and is a trustworthy basis for belief in the existence of God. (21) The cosmological argument, also known as the first cause argument, is a classical argument for the existence of God. The word cosmological comes from the Greek for order and it is an inductive argument as the premises are true but the conclusion may not be, and it is also synthetic where the truth is determined by experience and needs to be proven. It is also a posteriori and also based on natural theology. The Cosmological argument finds its answer for the start of the universe through causes, meaning everything is caused by something, or everything is dependent on something else. The argument attempts to find proof for God’s existence stating that as something cannot come from nothing God must exist in order for anything and everything else to exist. The origins of the cosmological argument come from Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. Plato 428-347 BC records one of the earliest versions of the Cosmological arguments in his book of ‘Laws’. Plato writes about the argument through an exchange between an Athenian and Clianis. The Athenian attempts to prove the existence of the gods by arguing that, of all the different types of motion, the motion “which can move itself” is “necessarily the earliest and mightiest of all changes”. It is clear from his argument that infinite regress...
Words: 1053 - Pages: 5
...Does God Exist The question of God’s existence has lingered in the mind of man since the dawn of religion. The simple fact that billions of people consider themselves to have some allegiance to a deity means that this question deserves to be seriously considered. In this paper I will argue for the sake that God does exist and the reasons why. I will include many of the arguments found in our philosophy book and those covered in class as well as other subjects such as human suffering and the reasons God chose to make the world as it is today, also including examples from life and the movies we watched in class. St. Thomas Aquinas had many arguments for the existence of God and one of those was the fifth way. In the argument of the fifth way Aquinas says “The fifth way is taken from the governance of the world. We see that things which lack knowledge, such as natural bodies, act for an end, and this is evident from their acting always, or nearly always, in the same way, so as to obtain the best result. Hence it is plain that they achieve their end, not fortuitously, but designedly. Now whatever lacks knowledge cannot move towards an end, unless it be directed by some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence; as the arrow is directed by the archer. Therefore, some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and this being we call God”. Here St. Thomas Aquinas is basically saying that the existence of order and apparent purpose in the universe...
Words: 1494 - Pages: 6
...Religion Natasha Smith PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor: Christopher Foster 2/10/2014 There are a couple philosophers that believe in different situations when I comes to the existence and the belief of God. The essay will explain the philosophers view points on the religion of God. There are a few arguments of which existence is the strongest. It will explain many aspects on science and religion, atheism, moral and human freedom on God’s existence. Believing in God and believing in God’s existence can have many aspects with different views from philosophers, the arguments will explain which philosopher is more compelling than the other. When it comes to the existence of God, some philosophers believe that it is necessary to have proof and some believe that proof is not necessary if we have faith. One philosopher named, Thomas Aquinas believed that God is from faith and first cause is the proof of God. Let’s take a look at what Thomas had to say, “that the existence of God is not demonstrable: that God's existence is an article of faith, and that articles of faith are not demonstrable, because the office of demonstration is to prove, but faith pertains (only) to things that are not to be proven, as is evident from the Epistle to the Hebrews, 11.” (Paul Halsall, 1988.) Therefore, I don’t believe that we need proof of God’s existence. I agree with Thomas that God is faith. No, proving God’s existence is not necessary because God is faith, we have to believe...
Words: 1578 - Pages: 7
...Aquinas’ Five Ways: Proofs for the Existence of God The first way: The way of MOTION It is certain, and evident to our sense, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is moved is moved by another, for nothing can be moved except it is in potentiality to that towards which it is moved; whereas a thing moves inasmuch as it is in act. For motion is nothing else than the reduction of something from potentiality to actuality. But nothing can be moved from a state of potentiality to actuality, except by something in a state of actuality... it is therefore impossible that in the same respect and in the same way a thing should be both mover and moved i.e. that it should move itself (Aquinas). The second way: The way of CAUSATION The second way is from the nature of efficient cause. In the world of sensible things we find there is an order of efficient causes. There is no case known (neither is it, indeed possible) in which a thing is found to be the efficient cause of itself; for so it would be prior to itself, which is impossible. Now in efficient causes it is not possible to go on to infinity, because in all efficient causes following in order, the first is the cause of the intermediate cause, whether the intermediate cause be several, or one only. Now to take away the cause is to take away the effect. Therefore, if there be no first cause among efficient causes, there will be no ultimate, or intermediate, cause. But if in efficient causes it is possible...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...The cosmological argument The word “cosmos” means universe. The cosmological argument argues the existence of a first cause, God, from a posteriori and priori premise. It argues that the universe is contingent and therefore requires a cause, as nothing is the cause of itself. This is known as redicto- ad- absurdum. The argument is backed up by the five ways put forward by the 12th century theologian and philosopher, St Thomas Aquinas. In the 12th century, St Thomas Aquinas put forward 5 ways to prove the existence of God in his book “Summa Theologica”. Aquinas’s five ways to prove the existence of God are based on the work of Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, whose work was later translated in Arabic, by Muslim philosophers Al- Kindi and Al- Ghazali, and then translated into Latin. I will be examining three of Aquinas’ ways, uncaused cause, unmoved mover and necessary being. As well as examining these three ways to prove the existence of God, I will be looking at their supporters and critics. Aquinas’ 1st way to prove the existence of God was the uncaused cause also known as the first cause. Aquinas considers the world in terms of “cause and effect” which means that without a cause there is no effect. Everything in the universe has a cause. Human beings have a cause (their parents) too. Aquinas argued that we could follow the chain of “cause and effect” all the way back, but there cannot be an infinite chain. There must be an uncaused cause, which causes everything...
Words: 1140 - Pages: 5
...One way of countering the argument would be to deny the premise and say that you do not have a perfect idea of God. Rather, you have only an approximation of that perfect idea. Since our idea of God would then be imperfect, it would not require a perfect cause and the conclusion wouldn't follow. The first argument for God is in Meditation 3, when Descartes examines the nature of God. Descartes deduces that God would only come from three sources of information: senses or experience, imagination, or an innate idea. God can not come from experiences because there are limitations to our experiences and since God is perfect and limitless, we can not experience him. He can not come from our imagination because our imagination comes from all of our experiences, and since our experiences are bound, as is our imagination. Therefore the idea of God must be innate, we must be born with the idea. And the only possible source of the idea of God can only come from God himself. Now, in the Third Meditation, Descartes hopes to deduce and prove the existence of something greater than himself—in this case, God. In order to do so, Descartes establishes two different arguments for the possible existence of God. In his first attempt, known as the “Causal Argument”, he examines what exactly is necessary for something to be the cause of its own effect; his theories on the origin and conception of ideas are used to try and not only proving that God exists, but that he is the cause of himself. Something...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...reject or disallow the everlasting father, the one true God? Many are the disputes for and against the existence of a God and many have proven to be confusing and misguided to say the least but do propose strong arguments that should be understood. An article by Australian philosopher H. J. McCloskey titled, “On Being an Atheist” presents a seemingly very compelling pro-atheist argument. McCloskey wastes no time and opens his article by explaining the flawed belief systems of theism. Although there are a other arguments to be considered in formulating a solid perspective McCloskey chooses to remain in the scope of three, the Cosmological, Teleological and the argument of design. Cosmological arguments endeavor to surmise the existence of God through the universe or cosmos and are sometimes referred to as first cause arguments. Beginning with the Cosmological argument he attempts to persuade his readers against this theory stating that it is deficient because it relates to a first cause and theists would have one believe that the first cause is an “all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused cause”, referring to the self existing God and...
Words: 1594 - Pages: 7
...Philosophy 201 Fall 2013 H.J. McCloskey (1968) in his article on being an Atheist aimed to prove atheism a more viable belief than the Christian worldview. McCloskey disputed the three theistic proofs: the cosmological argument, the teleological argument and the argument from design. McCloskey called attention to the presence of evil in a world made by God. He went further saying that it was nonsensical to live by faith. McCloskey contended that proofs were not the reason that people have faith in God but rather people come to rely on religion because of other circumstances in life. In spite of this, the three arguments, show great validity in supporting the God of Christianity’s existence. Examining this from the cumulative case point, there is no for sure argument that supports the existence of God of Christianity but, placing all viewpoints together cumulatively, the case is quite formidable. The Cosmological argument contends that the creator of the universe, the cosmos, is God and God alone. The Teleological Argument expresses an intelligent creator and the argument of morality display how God is an interpersonal, morally flawless God. This supporting information gives some clarity of how the universe was created. According to McCloskey the Cosmological argument has many flaws because it is only based upon the world as we know it. From McCloskey’s perspective, just because the universe exists, doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a greater being responsible for...
Words: 1458 - Pages: 6
...Name Professor Course Date Philosophy Free will can be termed as the ability of agents to make choices with no constrains of different dynamic factors. This principle of free will has implications on religion, legal and ethical factors among others. Philosophers since time immemorial have debated extensively on the existence or the nonexistence of free will in nature.one of this philosophical figure is David Hume, he maintains that humans are free because of decisions and their actions. This is so because though determined, they are determined by our individual motives. He demonstrated that determinism is a very integral part to the existence of individual free will. This therefore means that because our actions being determined causally by our motives and character human beings are morally responsible and are free willed. This then becomes a point of objection because if everything is caused, then what we decide is itself caused. Hume argues that human motives and desire is the Couse of their decisions. Determinism argument is not that we are free but that free will exists. The other philosopher who contributed this debate is Thomas Hobbes. He had a slightly different view on determinism and free will from those held by Hume. He said that God is the ultimate origin of every action, but if humans are not physically required to do any action, there is free will. Hobbes developed his thesis in name of liberty vs. necessity, as opposed free will vs. outwardly determined will. The...
Words: 1165 - Pages: 5
...H.J. McCloskey (1968) in his article on being an Atheist aimed to prove atheism a more viable belief than the Christian worldview. McCloskey disputed the three theistic proofs: the cosmological argument, the teleological argument and the argument from design. McCloskey called attention to the presence of evil in a world made by God. He went further saying that it was nonsensical to live by faith. McCloskey contended that proofs were not the reason that people have faith in God but rather people come to rely on religion because of other circumstances in life. In spite of this, the three arguments, show great validity in supporting the God of Christianity’s existence. Examining this from the cumulative case point, there is no for sure argument that supports the existence of God of Christianity but, placing all viewpoints together cumulatively, the case is quite formidable. The Cosmological argument contends that the creator of the universe, the cosmos, is God and God alone. The Teleological Argument expresses an intelligent creator and the argument of morality display how God is an interpersonal, morally flawless God. This supporting information gives some clarity of how the universe was created. According to McCloskey the Cosmological argument has many flaws because it is only based upon the world as we know it. From McCloskey’s perspective, just because the universe exists, doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a greater being responsible for it. Nor does he think that that...
Words: 1448 - Pages: 6
...Based on professor Glynn’s lectures the arguments for the existence of God includes the cosmological, Design, and Ignorance and the argument against the existence of God includes the Empirical, Rational, etc. The Cosmological argument shows that you got to keep going backk.It is constantly looking for a source/explaination for everything. Scientist have came to the conclusion of the Big Bang Theory, but where/ who created the Big band? where did th invisible force come from? Is it from the all powerful but invinsible God? Or did it just come out of thin air? This then carries into the next argument where people may just call it pure ignorance. That is when people try to explain an already difficult concept with a more abstract concept with...
Words: 277 - Pages: 2
...The Kalam Cosmological Argument: (KCA) Of the things debated in society, perhaps nothing is more hotly contested than the existence of a God. Over the course of time there have been many arguments made from many different angles. For example, an argument in favor of existence is the teleological argument also known as “fine tuning,” or the “argument from design” argues that the universe is so organized as to suggest the necessity of a designer. (1) Likewise there are many arguments against the existence of a God; perhaps the most well know is the “problem of evil” which argues if there is an omniscient, omnipotent and morally perfect being, he (or she) would know where evil is, have the power to destroy it, and being morally perfect would...
Words: 929 - Pages: 4
...Aquina’s cosmological argument states the existence of God, and claims that cosmos or universe exists, the existence of the cosmos has a cause, and that cause is God. Everything begin was cause by something else that happened before; therefore, either there is an infinite casual chain being extending backwards or there is a first cause, something that wasn’t caused by anything but caused something else. There is no infinite casual chain extending backwards, so there must be a first cause that was not caused by anything but started everything else. Therefore, God exists. Cosmological argument attempts to prove God’s existence by observing the universe. Thomas Aquina addressed God’s existence to his systematic theology of the “quinquae viae”...
Words: 460 - Pages: 2
