Q. Explain Humes’ criticisms of the cosmological argument (25 marks) The cosmological argument is based on the principle of causation. In particular, it is put forward that any existent thing must have a cause or reason for its existence and that there cannot be more in the effect than there is in the cause. Hume challenges these assumptions in his Dialogues. There are three main critiques that Hume makes of the argument. Firstly, he has general concerns about the way it is structured, and believes
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The Cosmological Argument The Cosmological argument infers that the existence of the universe is due to the existence of God. Plato bought about one of the oldest arguments between 428-327 BCE. Plato believed that there is a self moving principle from which all change and motion originated. This principle is the core which is responsible for the world. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century developed Plato’s views; however this development was with a theistic principle. The first three of the five
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Explain the cosmological argument with particular reference to: The rejection to infinite regress and god as the necessary being (30 Marks) The Cosmological Argument is a posteriori argument put forward by St. Thomas Aquinas. Gottfried Leibnitz also made a similar argument. In the Cosmological Argument, Aquinas said that he believed that all things in the world were caused to exist by something. The universe exists, so there must be something that caused the universe. He believed the first cause
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since time immemorial. I personally found the cosmological argument of God existence to be more effective in explaining gone existence. In its proof, cosmological argument captures a fundamental concept which to me is more important; the concept of everything having a cause. This in real life is very true; I mean everything that exist have its own initial origin. Taking that into consideration, cosmological argument is clearly on point in its argument that there just be that cause that was prior to
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Descartes Exam Questions & Notes (PHIL 1F90) Give a detailed account of Descartes’ systematic doubt or methodic doubt in Meditation I making certain to distinguish between real doubts and hypothetical or metaphysical doubts. Then explain how Descartes dispels each of these doubts during the course of the subsequent Meditations beginning with the cogito in Meditation 2. A methodic or systematic doubt refers to the common sense or naïve realism. So common sense or naïve realism is the belief
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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
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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
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Philosophy essay 09/02/2015 a) Explain the cosmological argument (25 marks) a) St Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and priest who produced a large amount of writing attempted to prove the existence of God. He was most well know for this through his book 'Summa Theologica' which was left unfinished when he died. Within this book he explains the 'five ways', which he used to try and prove the existence of God. Aquinas though of the 'five ways' in order to try to prove and explain the existence
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The Cosmological argument argues for the existence of God a posteriori based on the apparent order in the universe. For Aristotle, the existence of the universe needs an explanation, a cause, as it could not have come from nothing. Nothing comes from nothing so since there is something, there must have been some other thing that is its cause. Aristotle rules out an infinite progression of causes, so, that led to the conclusion that there must be a First Cause. Likewise with motion, there must have
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b) To what extent was Hume successful in his critique of the cosmological argument? [10]Hume makes some very important challenges to the Cosmological argument which some believe count decisively against it. One of the key areas he calls into question is the argument’s dependence upon what Leibniz termed the principle of sufficient reason. In this principle an adequate explanation must be a total explanation. The universe requires an explanation of itself as a whole. But many would say, as Russell
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