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The Cosmological Argument

Philosophy of Religion: Can We Prove That God Exists?
Philosophical Category: Cosmological

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74)
  • St. Anselm's line of argument can be described as nonexperiential, or a priori in character. But many philosophers have claimed that arguments for existence must be "empirical", or based on experience. One of these sorts of arguments that aim to prove God's existence  is called the cosmological  or fist cause argument. This argues that all things in the world must a have had a cause, and since there cannot be an infinity of causes, there must be a first cause, which is God (this is St. Thomas Aquinas' argument)
  • St. Thomas critiques the ontological argument (St. Anselm).

 
The Cosmological Argument:

  1. Whether the Existence of God Is Self-Evident?
  • Objection #1)
  • Anselm's ontological argument:  The existence of God is self-evident because it is naturally imprinted in us; hence the existence of God is self evident.

  • Objection #2)
  • Anselm's ontological argument: As soon as the signification of the word God is understood, it is at once seen that God exists. So as soon as the word God is understood mentally,  it also follows that it exists actually. Hence the existence of God is self evident.
  • Aquinas's cosmological argument: Perhaps not everyone who hears the name God understands it signify something than which nothing greater can be thought, given the fact that some have believed God to be a body. So understanding what the name signifies doesn’t make God's existence actual, it just means that it exists mentally.   

  • Objection #3)
  • Anselm's ontological argument: The existence of truth is self-evident, God is the truth, therefore God is self-evident. 
  • Aquinas's cosmological argument: The existence of truth in general is self-evident, but the existence of a Primal Truth is not self-evident to us (p 45)

  1. Whether God Exists?
[These are the two objects Aquinas gives that are used to deny God's existence]
  • Objection #1)
  • Given the name God means that He is infinite goodness, if God existed, there would be no evil discoverable. But there is evil in the world. Therefore, God does not exist.

  • Objection #2)
  • There is human reason and human will, therefore, God doesn’t exist.

[Now, Aquinas is going to offer an argument to prove God's existence; in 5 ways]
  1. Argument from motion.  Whatever is moved [humans] is moved by a mover [God]. Whatever is moved must be moved by another. Given that this concept applied to the movement of humans and the cosmos, it follows that the "mover" must be God.

  1. Nature of Efficient Cause. Efficient cause is the entity which immediately brings the effect, such as one billiard ball striking another. There is no known way that something could be the efficient cause of itself. Take away the cause [God], you take away the effect [God's creations]. And this cause must be eternal, or else if the causer dies then the effect will respectively cease. Therefore it is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.

  1. Possibility and Necessity. Beings are not merely possible [they don’t bloom out of thin air], so something must exist something that the existence of which is necessary [God].

  1. Gradation. There must be something which is to all beings the cause of their being, goodness, and every other perfection; and this we call God (p. 47)

  1. Governance of the World. Some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end: this [Aquinas says] is God (p. 47)


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