The Cosmological Argument

1
The Cosmological Argument

• Weber State University
• Spring 2007
• PHIL 1000

2
What is the foundation of the arguments for Gods
existence?

• A priori arguments based on reason alone.
• A posteriori arguments that depend on premises
  that can only be known on the basis of experience.

3
Why is there something rather than nothing?

• If you peer into the night sky and see a saucer
  shaped object hovering over your house, then
  youll probably wonder what it is, where it came
  from, and why it was hovering over your house?
• Similarly, when you receive a package, you wonder
  where it came from?
• These questions arise because we believe that
  something cannot just materialize it had to have
  come from somewhere.

4
The Cosmological Argument

• Why is there something rather than nothing?
• What is it that has caused us to exist?

5
The First Cause Argument

• The world contains things whose existence depends
  on some cause. (premise)
• Everything that exists is either uncaused or
  caused to exist by another. (premise)
• There cannot be an infinite regress of causes.
  (premise)
• So there must be an uncaused first cause. (2,3)
• An uncaused first cause is (in part) what we mean
  by God. (premise)
• Thus, God exists. (1,4,5)

6
Infinite Series Objection

• The uncaused cause could have a cause. (premise)
• If the uncaused cause was caused, then there
  could be an infinite series of causes. (premise)
• Thus, there can be an infinite regress of causes.
  (1,2)

7
Is that You, God?

• The argument fails to identify the uncaused cause
  with God. (premise)
• God has characteristics the uncaused cause might
  not have, e.g., a will and self-awareness.
  (premise)
• So, the argument does not prove that God exists.
  (1,2)

8
Argument from Contingency

• The world contains a collection of contingent
  things. (premise)
• A contingent being cannot cause itself to exist
  it depends on other things for its existence.
  (premise)
• Everything in the world could not be contingent.
  (1,2)
• If everything that exists must have a reason that
  explains why it exists and why it has the
  properties it does, then we believe that there
  has to be a sufficient reason for the existence
  of anything. (premise)
• So, there has to be a reason for the worlds
  existence that is noncontingent, nondependent,
  self-sufficient, and uncaused, and that is God.
  (3,4)

9
What of necessity?

• Necessity applies only to propositions and not
  entities. (premise)
• The argument from contingency applies necessity
  to God. (premise)
• Hence, God does not necessarily exist. (1,2)

10
The Mother of all Objections

• Every human being has a mother. (premise)
• Therefore, the entire collection of human beings
  has a mother. (1)