The Cosmological Argument simply proposes the argument, that God is the creator of the universe and without God there would be nothing. This argument is the simplest of all arguments as it begins with the simple fact that there is a universe. With this provided it means there are various different strengths and weaknesses put forward for this argument leading on to a final conclusion to the end to decide if this argument successfully proves the existence of God.
The Cosmological Argument proposed by Aquinas, is an argument that tries to persuade you that God exists. The argument states that if we all look at the world, you will notice that everything is caused by something else. Taking this into account we can see that there is a chain of causes because nothing can cause itself. So whatever started of the process must have been ‘uncaused’ or self-existent, meaning nothing caused it and it’s the necessary being. So we come to the conclusion that God is the only one powerful enough to be such a being so therefore God exists. The theory is basically arguing the point that nothing just pops into existence without a whole series of events before them to bring them into existence.
The argument provides controversy on the matter at hand as on one side the argument could be considered as extremely plausible but on the other side there may be more to how the universe came about. When analysing the argument we can see that the argument is practical and logical, as there had to be a point where everything started and there cannot be an infinite chain of cause and effect. Another strong aspect of the argument is that there must have been a first cause that was responsible for the existence of everything else, including the universe, therefore we come to the conclusion that God is the only one powerful enough to be the creator of the universe. The last strength of the argument is in the beginning of time there must have been something, as something can’t come from nothing, so God is the immediate source where all this power could come from to create the universe.
Criticisms are used against the Cosmological argument to explore different theories. The first criticism was proposed by the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell. He questioned, “If God made the universe, who made God?” There is no reason, according to Russell, why the world could have come into existence without a cause, nor he says, is there any reason as why it should not have always existed. Bertrand rejected the whole idea that there was a cause of the universe and Russell also stated, “the world is just there and that’s all,” clearly conveying that as far as he is concerned that if it was possible for God to exist without having been made, then it is just as possible for the universe to exist in the same way. But with every criticism there is always a counter argument put forward to argue their case against Russell’s theory. A religious person might respond to Russell’s argument by questioning, “How can everything else exist without something that starts the chain because the universe isn’t a being but God is.”
The second criticism used against the Cosmological argument is the Big Bang theory. The Big Bang theory is argued by scientists that it was the first cause of the universe and to prove this theory, they backed up their theory with evidence. In the beginning, space, time, energy and matter were all created as a result of a ‘Big Bang’ or ‘explosion.’ Therefore once this ‘explosion’ occurred it would have taken away the need for a creator, God. So
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features of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. The cosmological argument comes from the Greek ‘cosmos’ meaning universe. It is one of the oldest arguments that attempts to prove the existence of God. It does this based on the starting point that there is a universe, and seeks to prove why there is a universe rather than nothingness. It takes the form of an a posteriori argument. This means that it is inductive and so based on experience. It is also a synthetic argument, meaning that…
religion in the future? In this short essay I will be looking at the arguments for and against the existence of God relevant to the cosmological argument. There are many arguments for and against God; therefore I am going to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the cosmological argument. The question of God’s existence is one of the perennial features of the philosophical landscape. The cosmological argument is a posterior argument which allows the human mind to locate God beyond this universe as…
“Explain Aquinas’ cosmological argument” The cosmological argument or first cause argument is that everything has a cause, causal chains cannot be infinite, and so there must be an uncaused cause at its origin. It is a posteriori argument (knowledge gained after experience) which attempts to prove that there is a rational basis for the belief in God. Christian philosopher St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) came up with the cosmological argument not to prove the existence of God but rather solidify his…
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require responses based on the views of McCloskey in contrast to different philosophical arguments of religion. Such arguments include the Cosmological Argument, Teleological Argument and the Problem of Evil. The paper will also include responses to other statements made by McCloskey about the existence of God overall and his role with the Universe contrasting with Atheism and Theism. McCloskey refers to the arguments as “proofs” and often implies that they can’t definitively establish the case for God…
knowledge, human nature, and existence with the physical and non-physical things that surround us. Aquinas argument on the existence of God through the order of the world helps to further explain my definition of philosophy. I overall agree with Aquinas reasons on the belief of God due to the order set around us and compare the points of my definition to his. Aquinas believes that his cosmological argument is epistemic rationality, rationality that comes from the concerns evidence for the truth of a proposition…
being. A cosmological example from the Greek mythology is that the universe began out of chaos and out of that chaos were formed the first three immortal beings: Gaea (Mother of Earth), Tartarus (Ruler of Underworld), and Eros (Love) (Creation of Titans and Gods). Peoples ethics were to believe in their gods because they thought that was the right thing to do. The Greeks feared that if they did not worship their gods that they would be punished. 2.) There is several cosmological arguments in Greek…
Examine the argument against the cosmological argument for the existence of God (30) There are as many people against the cosmological argument as there are supporters of the argument. Even though this argument may be seen as strong as it is one of the oldest arguments to prove the existence of God flaws can be found within the argument. The facts the argument is based on are found from medical science which is not valid anymore as science as moved on and advanced since then. Since science has…
writings on philosophy of religion. Thomas Aquinas has five primary arguments for God’s existence that come from his most well known work, the Summa Theologiae. Those five arguments are known as the “Quinque Viae” or Five Ways. St. Thomas did not believe the success of these arguments was essential for his belief in God. St. Thomas already acknowledged the existence of a God on the basis of revelation. However, Aquinas did utilize the arguments to serve as key syllogisms that revealed certain aspects of…
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