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Cosmological Arguments Intro PhilosophyTed Sider
Basic idea: there has to be a reason or cause for everything, and this is God.
1. Aquinas’s cosmological argument
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): “There are five ways in which one can prove that there is a God.”
The second way is from the nature of efficient causes. For we find in observable things that there is an order of efficient causes. Nevertheless, we do not find—nor is it possible—that something is the efficient cause of itself; for then a thing would be prior to itself, which is impossible. However, it is not possible that efficient causes go on to infinity. This is because in any order of efficient causes, the first is the cause of the intermediate, and the intermediate is the cause of the last, whether the intermediate cause consists of many or only one. Now if the cause is removed, the effect is removed. Therefore, if there were no first efficient cause, there would not be any final or intermediate ones. But if the series of efficient causes should proceed to infinity, there would not be a first efficient cause, and so there would not be a final effect, nor intermediary efficient causes, which is clearly false. Therefore, it is necessary to posit some first efficient cause, which everyone calls God. (Aquinas, p. 48.)
2. Representing the argument in numbered-premise format
- Formulate the argument
- Give the justifications of the premises
- Evaluate the argument
Step 1: formulating the argument
Aquinas’s cosmological argument
- Some objects are caused by others
- Any object that is caused by another lies at the end of a causal series, in which the first member has no cause
- Any uncaused first member of a causal series would be God
- Therefore, God exists
Causal series: A series of objects in which each object causes the next
Step 2: justifying the premises
Premise 1: we know this from observation.
Premise 2: Let’s trace the causes of a forest fire (say), back as far as we can:
spark fire
How will this process end? With a self-caused thing?:
spark fire
…we never observe, nor ever could, something causing itself, for this would mean it preceded itself, and this is not possible. (Aquinas, p. 48)
Could it go back forever?:
spark fire
However, it is not possible that efficient causes go on to infinity. This is because in any order of efficient causes, the first is the cause of the intermediate, and the intermediate is the cause of the last, whether the intermediate cause consists of many or only one. Now if the cause is removed, the effect is removed. Therefore, if there were no first efficient cause, there would not be any final or intermediate ones. But if the series of efficient causes should proceed to infinity, there would not be a first efficient cause, and so there would not be a final effect, nor intermediary efficient causes, which is clearly false. (Aquinas, p. 48)
Clark’s argument
- The aggregate of all dependent things is not self-existent
- If the aggregate of all dependent things is not self-existent, it must depend on God
- Therefore God exists
Justification of 1: a self-existent thing can’t be made of dependent parts
Justification of 2: the PSR implies that the aggregate must depend on some- thing; and that something would need to be very powerful.
Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) Anything that isn’t self-existent de- pends on something
Advantages over original argument:
- Evades the problem that the causes could go back forever
- PSR can be used to rebut the big bang objection
But one can object to the PSR: all explanations end somewhere; why not stop with the whole material world, rather than with God?
