Outline the 'Cosmological Argument' for the existence of God and access its claim to prove that God exists

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Outline the 'Cosmological Argument' for the existence of God and access its claim to prove that God exists

The term 'cosmological' comes from the Greek words 'kosmos' and 'logos' translated as 'cosmos' synonymous with 'universe' and 'Logos' meaning 'blueprint' or 'plan'. Therefore, 'cosmology' refers to the 'blueprint of the universe'. The 'Cosmological Argument' is sometimes reffered to as the 'causal argument' or the 'first cause argument' and has many different versions that differ from person to person.

Although the basis for the cosmological argument lies with greek philosophy, it really was the Muslim philosophers of the middle ages who generated the debate of the argument to any extent. They developed the Kalam Cosmological Argument ('Kalam' meaning 'speech') and the group consisted of notable Muslim philosophers as al- Kindi and al-Ghazali.

One of the Kalam group's important contributions was to consider the origins of the universe and the difficulties involving the idea that the universe has existed forever or for infinity. Al Ghazali stated that no 'actual infinities' could exist and that is to say that we can talk of 'potential infinity', such as an infinite series of numbers, however this is very different from them existing in 'actuality' i.e. in the 'real world'.Custom Essays on Outline the 'Cosmological Argument' for the existence of God and access its claim to prove that God exists

The Kalam argument can be summed up to say that - actual infinity is not possible. Therefore, if you trace the series of causes for the existence of the universe back in time this cannot go on for infinity. So, the universe must have begun at a certain moment in time and this moment in time is the cause of the universe. Therefore, the cause of the universe is God.

Thomas Aquinas - a medieval Christian theologian and Philosopher presented the most famous version of the cosmological argument and incidentally adopted the stance of the Kalam group that actual infinity is impossible.

Between 165-7, Aquinas wrote 'Summa Theologica' in which he presented his famous 'five ways'. Each 'way' is an argument (or what Aquinas termed 'demonstratio') that begins with a fact that we can observe. He then reaches a conclusion that is not subject to everyday observation. These 'five ways' which is 'a posteriori' (considering facts about the universe) based on inductive proof are

· An Unmoved Mover - based on the premise that there is change in the world. For this change, we move to an original instigator of that change.

· An Uncaused cause each event is caused by something and that event then causes something in turn. There must be a first cause initiating the chain of causes and effects.

· Possibility and Necessity There are things that are impermenant plants etc) and things that are permanant ungenerated being is the source of the impermanent things.

· Degrees of quantity Goodness and completeness are things that belong to God.

· Design everything operates as to a design this design is from God.

Although the first three () are separate 'ways' they are actually three arguments that complement each other or are three parts of the same argument. Before introducing these 'five ways', Aquinas stated that " God's effects…. Are enough to prove that God exists, even if they are not enough to comprehend what he is" Aquinas developed these 'ways' as he believed that that show us that God exists, but it cannot tell us about the nature of God and what he actually is. Therefore, Aquinas would agree with a critic who argues that his five ways do not prove the existence of God. However, the aim is to show that 'something' must existence and that 'something' is God.

Aquinas' 'first way' basically states that In the world something's are in motion. For something to move it must be moved by something else. However, movement cannot go on for infinity. Therefore, the first mover must be God.

The 'second way' states that In the world events occur and every event has a cause. It is impossible for these series of causes to be infinite therefore, there must be a first cause God.

The 'third way' states that In the world everything is contingent beings and things (something that would not have been). If we accept that all things are infinite then there must have been a time when there was nothing and if there were nothing, then there would be nothing now. Therefore, there must be something that is necessary and every necessary thing is either caused by another or is not. However, as the 'second way' is shown, causes cannot go for infinity therefore there must be a necessary being for that cause and this we call is God.

However, there are some critics to Aquinas' theory of the cosmological argument by a number of key thinkers.

Hick points out that the 'five ways' of Aquinas present us with two alternatives that the universe is either "a mere untelligble brute fact", or there is a 'first cause'. However, we are not compelled to choose one over the other. The argument only holds if we can conclusively show that the universe is not unintelligible.

David Hume a 0th century Atheist claimed that we have not even experienced the creation of the universe, yet we are prepared to argue that because there are causes of things within the universe. Hume believed that all knowledge comes from our own experience of the world. Something can only be called a cause if it is observed to be causing something. The linking of cause to effect depends upon them being observed as two separate things. However, we cannot get 'outside' the world to observe its cause.

However, some thinkers have rallied to help Aquinas such as Peter Geach points out that the question of independence in nature adds to discussions about the causes of individual elements of creation. Geach stated in his book 'The Three Philosophers' that "if the world is an object, it seems natural to ask about it the sort of causal questions which would be legitimate about its parts. If it began to exist, what brought it into existence in any case, what keeps it from perishing, as some of its parts perish? And what keeps its processes going?" I think that the answer to that is God.

However, Aquinas was aware that his arguments had their limitations. He never intended to use his arguments to define God, but rather point towards the existence of something that could be called 'God'.

Fredrick Copleston a Professor in the University of London also agreed with Aquinas' theory (however not so complicated) on the Cosmological Argument. In 147, a radio debate between himself and Bertrand Russell took place to give their views on the argument. Here, Copleston defined a 'necessary being' as "a being that must and cannot exist" however Russell responded to Copleston's argument by rejecting his terminology. He claimed that if you accept Copleston's terminology, particularly the claim that everything in the world is contingent or dependent, then his argument seems and appears to be quite persuasive. However, if you accept that everything is dependent on something else then it seems reasonable to suggest that there has to be something necessary or non-dependent.

Of cause, Russell refused to accept this line of thought as he would not accept the first premises of the argument. He suggested that the argument suggested that because everyone has a mother, then the universe must have a parent. While this is true for each Human Being, it does not follow for the universe. In reply, Copleston said "If one does not wish to embark on the path which leads to the affirmation of transcendent being, however the latter may be described one has to deny the reality of the problem and assert that things 'just are' and the existal problem in question is just a psudo and if one effuses, to even sit down at the chess board and make a move. Then one cannot of cause, be checkmated."

Therefore, Fredrick Copleston argued that everything within the universe has a cause, whereas Russell argues that it does not. However, even if Russell were persuaded to accept that everything has a cause, then he would want to argue that the existence of 'God' needs an explanation as much as the universe needs an explanation.

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