Cosmological Argument Summary

Cosmological Argument Summary

1. Anselm's cosmological argument

   • Ways 1 & 2: The arguments for an unmoved mover and uncaused causer
     • Concerned with why there is any motion or causation
     • Argues that there is a first mover which causes all that exists
     • Argues that there is a first mover which causes all that exists
     • God is the first efficient cause of the universe
     • Infinite regression is rejected
     • God is a pure act
     • Copleston called this an 'ontologically ultimate cause'
   • Way 3: The argument from contingency
     • Aquinas argues that God necessarily exists
     • Criticisms of Way 3:
       • Kant rejected Aquinas' Third Way for the same reason that he rejected the concept of necessary existence with respect to the ontological argument
       • Mackie questioned the assumption that there is a necessary being & that God should be the necessary being

2. David Hume

   • Questioned idea that every effect has the same cause
   • One can't always claim/ assume that every effect has a necessary cause
   • The Fallacy of Composition
     • Hume questioned whether its necessary for the whole universe to have a cause just because everything that is within the universe could be explained by reference to a preceding cause
     • Bertrand Russell's example: the mother of the human race

3. Russell- Copleston debate

   • Copleston
     • Presented reformulation of some of the ideas found in 3rd Way of Aquinas
     • Argued the Universe can only be sufficiently explained by reference to God
     • God is different from contingent beings as he is 'his own sufficient cause'
     • Argued that explaining why there's a universe is important
   • Russell
     • Rejected Copleston's arguments and suggested that the universe was not explainable in the way Copleston wanted
     • Argued that whether an explanation for the universe as a whole is possible or not, the explanation is beyond the reach of human beings
     • It's unnecessary for human's have a sufficient explanation of the universe that goes beyond the contingent universe
     • Stated: "I should say that the universe is just there and that is all"