CA

Question 1

Cosmological argument

Answer 1

An argument for God as the one unique explanation of some alleged general fact about reality

Question 2

The Kalām argument

Answer 2

P1: Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its beginning

P2: The universe began to exist

C1: Therefore, the universe has a cause of its beginning

P3: The cause must have the following attributes that God is thought to have:
1) uncaused because an infinite series of causes is impossible
2) outside of time and space because it caused all time and space
3) hugely powerful because it created all matter and energy
4) personal because it’s the only way to explain how an eternal cause can produce an effect with a beginning

C2: Therefore: God exists.

Question 3

Kalām cosmological argument terminology

Answer 3

A version of the cosmological argument from the Kalām school of theology

Question 4

Principle of causality

Answer 4

The principle that everything has a cause and/or a sufficient reason which explains why it happened or exists.

Question 5

Aquinas’ first way from motion

Answer 5

P1) The world contains motion

P2) Nothing can change itself it must be changed by something distinct from it.

P3) If there were an infinite series of changes caused by changes, there would be no first changer

P4) If there were no first changer there could not be any change.

C1) Therefore, given P1 there must be a first changer

P5) God is this first changer.

C2) Therefore God exists

Question 5

An issue that attacks premise two of the Kalām argument

Answer 5

The possibility of an infinite series. It may be argued that while different components of the universe may have begun to exist and were hence caused by something, the universe as a whole has always existed so there never was a first event in the universe

Question 6

Aquinas second way from causation

Answer 6

P1) The world contains efficient sustaining causation

P2) Nothing can be the efficient sustaining cause of itself since its existence cannot depend on itself

P3) If the series of efficient sustaining causes were infinite with no first cause then there would be no first cause.

P4) If there were no first efficient sustaining cause there could not be any other causation

C1) Therefore, given P1 there must be a first efficient sustaining cause

P5) God is this first efficient sustaining cause.

C2) Therefore God exists

Question 7

Aquinas third way from contingency

Answer 7

P1: If everything were contingent then there would be a time when nothing existed.

P2: If this were so, then nothing would exist now as nothing can come from nothing.

P3: But things do exist now.

C1: Therefore not everything is contingent

P4: An infinite regression of necessary beings caused by other necessary beings is impossible.

C2: Therefore, there must be one first necessary being whose necessity was not caused by another, and this all people call God.

Question 8

contingent being

Answer 8

A being which exists but could possibly have not existed

Question 9

necessary being

Answer 9

A being which exists and must have always existed

Question 10

Leibniz’s argument from the principle of sufficient reason

Answer 10

P1: All contingent things need a sufficient reason for why they exist, given that they might not have existed.

P2: If they exist as they do because of other contingent things (in an infinite series in the present/past), then this would not be a sufficient explanation because the infinite series is still itself contingent.

C1: Therefore, there must, ultimately, be a sufficient reason for the contingent series.

C2: Therefore a necessary being exists - this is God

Question 11

Descartes cosmological argument for the existence of God

Answer 11

P1) I exist as a being from one moment to the next and this requires a cause.

P2) There are 3 options for this cause:
(1) me,
(2) some other finite being (e.g. my parents), (3) God.

P3) I cannot be the cause of my continued existence because I don’t have this power

P4) No other finite being could be the ultimate cause of my continued existence as:
they do not keep me in existence from moment to moment;
they only brought my physical body into existence, not me as a thinking thing.

P5) My continued existence cannot be the result of various separate non-divine causes and must be, rather, one being.

C1) Therefore, the only possible cause of my continued existence is one supremely perfect being

C2) Therefore, God must exist.