Cosmological argument objections and counterarguments. I think rowe s exposition and analysis of clarkes version of the cosmological argument is wonderful. The cosmological argument or first cause argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of god which explains that everything has a cause, that there must have been a first cause, and that this first cause was itself uncaused. It uses a general pattern of argumentation logos that makes an inference from particular alleged facts about the universe cosmos to the existence of a unique being, generally identified with or referred to as god. Rowe has called the principle the humeedwards principle. The kalam argument popular writings reasonable faith. Regresses, sufficient reasons, and cosmological arguments a variety of arguments fall under the label of the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument is less a particular argument than an argument type. Rowe begins an interesting paper on the cosmological argument by stating that his purpose is not to resurrect it but to uncover, clarify, and examine some of the philosophical concepts and theses essential to the reasoning exhibited in the argument. Cosmological argument, form of argument used in natural theology to prove the existence of god. In chapter ii of william rowe s the cosmological argument, rowe presents samuel clarkes argument for the conclusion that something has existed from eternity as follows. The cosmological argument for proving gods existence has a number of clear strengths and weaknesses. By the cosmological argument i mean to refer to samuel clarkes argument that there must be a necessarily existent being who is the cause of the existence of contingent beings.
The fact that the universe exists means that somebody must have created it in the first place, and this somebody is. Cosmological argument which presents a more detailed discussion of the argument than does his philosophy of religion, rowe quotes clarkes argument against the claim that reality consists simply of an infinite succession of beings, each one of which is explicable by another if we consider such an infinite progression, as one entire endless. Cosmological argument philosophical investigations. The cosmological argument is one of the oldest and most popular arguments for proof in the existence of god. They therefore are capable of either being or not being. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Clarkes version belongs to the tradition of modal cosmological arguments that employ the principle of sufficient reason to argue from a contingent. Cosmological argument which relies on a moment of creation. I think rowes exposition and analysis of clarkes version of the cosmological argument is wonderful. According to aquinas, it is an observed fact that some things have a beginning and an ending. Epistemological foundations for the cosmological argument.
The cosmological argument1 volume 11 issue 4 pheroze s. The kalam cosmological argument is one of the most popular cosmological arguments around today. Since the proponent of the cosmological argument accepts psr in both its parts, it is clear that he will appeal to its first part, psra, as justification for the first premise of the cosmological argument. My paper will present the cosmological argument for gods existence, and show that its underlying principle, the principle of sufficient reason, fails to establish it as a sound argument for the existence of god. It tries to show that for this to be so there must exist something outside the universe which can cause or explain its existence. Aristotle and cosmological arguments there and almost. Of course, we can and should enquire william rowe an examination of the cosmological argument 153.
Oct 07, 2012 in chapter ii of william rowes the cosmological argument, rowe presents samuel clarkes argument for the conclusion that something has existed from eternity as follows. He was the first to modernize the cosmological argument, his version of it was defended by william rowe. Rowes cosmological argument essay example topics and well. This is so evident and undeniable a proposition, that no atheist in any age has ever presumed to assert. Cosmological argument for the existence of god the cosmological argument is actually a family of arguments that seek to demonstrate the existence of a sufficient reason or first cause of the existence of the cosmos. I there are di erent forms of the argument depending on what is to be explained and why that can only be explained by god. Rowe didnt agree that the argument proves its conclusion because the principle of sufficient reason cant be proved. Various criticisms purporting to show clarkes argument unsound rowe submits to probing analyses and finally assesses as failures. Similarly, michael martin reasons t hat no current version of the. Every being and every positive fact has an explanation where its existencetruth psr 3. William rowe tried to strengthen and clarify clarkes account by explaining the role of principal of sufficient reason in the argument, but concludes that the cosmological argument is only as strong as the principal of sufficient reason. The cosmological argument or first cause argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of god which explains that everything has a cause, that there must have been a first.
Bruce reichenbach has formulated a fairly typical version of the. It is unclear, however, whether the second contention is an essential part of the cosmological argument. Certainly, the gauntlet had been laid down by rejections of the cosmological argument by alston, plantinga, and rowe in the sixties. If something now exists and it is not the case that something has always existed then something has been produced out of nothing. Thus, the status of the argument remains uncertain. The cosmological argument is an a posteriori argument which intends to prove that there is an intelligent being that exists. What is the cosmological argument for the existence of god.
Analysis of samuel clarkes cosmological argument the. This means that the existence of all beings, and to a great extension, the whole universe, is fully accounted for. So is the model correct, or, more importantly, is it correct in predicting a beginning of the universe. The cosmological argument1 religious studies cambridge core. Start studying versions of the cosmological argument. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. The cosmological argument1 religious studies cambridge. The argument is typically classified today as cosmological, but it should not be confused with the kalam cosmological argument which takes as a premise that the world has a finite history. Thomist cosmological argument based on the principle of efficient causality. Rowe suggests that the cosmological argument has two parts, one to establish the existence of a first cause or necessary being, the other that this necessary being is god 1975, 6. An a posteriori argument because it begins with a premise, based on observation, that the universe exists, and is subject to change. Personally, however, i would argue that the arguments criticisms outweigh its strengths, thereby making it a weak argument for proving gods existence.
The cosmological argument and the principle of sufficient. The arguments for the most part take their starting point in the writings of aristotle and in particular the argument laid out in metaphysics xii concerning an unmoved mover. Cosmological arguments i a cosmological argument is one that argues that there must be a god to explain the existence of the universe. Yet there are some significant differences between aristotles original argument and contemporary manifestations of the cosmological argument. In natural theology, a cosmological argument is an argument in which the existence of a unique being, generally seen as some kind of god or demiurge is deduced or inferred from facts or alleged facts concerning causation, change, motion, contingency, or finitude in respect of the universe as a whole or processes within it. Rowe suggests that the cosmological argument has two parts, one to establish the existence of a first cause or necessary being, the other that this necessary being is god 1975. The firstcause argument begins with the fact that there is change in the world, and a change is always the effect of. The firstcause argument begins with the fact that there is change in the world, and a change is. It furthers the universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Rowe argues that there are three ways of explaining the existence of a being. Regresses, sufficient reasons, and cosmological arguments. The argument is fairly straightforward and enjoys intuitive support. I the other philosophical argument o ered in defense of premise 2 is that there cannot be an actual in nite in the world, merely a potential in nite.
Possibly, then, the theist is entitled to claim that the cosmological argument is an acceptable argument for theistic belief, that it shows the reasonableness of belief in god, even though it does not demonstrate the existence of god rowe. For the point of the cosmological argument is to show that there must be a stopping place to the series of explanations. Although the premises of flews argument are not inconsistent with the principle of sufficient reason they do have serious implications for the cosmological argument. Epistemological foundations for the cosmological argument 4 axiom 1 x is a part of y i. We intend to focus on two underlying assumptions on which many, though not all, of the historically salient versions rest. In the present selection, taken from the second edition of his philosophy of religion. One clear strength of the arguments is its appeal to human logic and reason. On pages 120121 of his book, the cosmological argument which presents a more detailed discussion of the argument than does his philosophy of religion, rowe quotes. Oxford university press is a department of the university of oxford. The fact that the universe exists means that somebody must have created it in the first place, and this somebody is most likely god. Whatever has the possibility of nonexistence, yet exists, has been caused to exist. I completely agree with the views of the cosmological argument presented by rowe. Thomas aquinas, in his summa theologiae, presented two versions of the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument attempts to prove gods existence by observing the world around us the cosmos.
Rowe addresses versions of the cosmological argument from aquinas, scotus and clarke, but focuses on the argument from clarke. Rowe on clarkes cosmological argument not not a philosopher. This argument is made by samuel clarke 1675 1729 an enblish clergyman and philosopher. David hume and later paul edwards have invoked a similar principle in their criticisms of the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument takes several forms, but a basic structure is represented below. Rowes cosmological argument essay example topics and. The notion that infinity is impossible is at the foundation of the cosmological argument, since it means that there must have been a moment of creation which has to be accounted for, a prime mover or prime cause must therefore have caused the universe. If this model is correct, then we have amazing scientific confirmation of the second premise of the kalam cosmological argument. Cosmological argument stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
First, then, it is absolutely and undeniably certain that something has existed from all eternity. Versions of the cosmological argument flashcards quizlet. Examine the cosmological argument for the existence of god. If the existence of every member of a set is explained, the existence of that set is thereby explained.
It is then argued that the cause of those things existence had to be a godtype thing. Though i think certain pieces are a bit dated as is the case when the field responds to to such a work, there are still key points that are valuable in current debates of perhaps the most philosophically interesting version of this type of argument which are not emphasized enough. Rowe, selfexistence, and the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument by samuel clarke from a demonstration of the being and attributes of god 1705 i. Nevertheless, to publish a fullscale defense and restatement of the argument on the metaphysical thin ice.
Project muse the cosmological argument by william l. Cosmological argument overview introduction to philosophy. The standard big bang model thus predicts an absolute beginning of the universe. A cosmological argument, in natural theology and natural philosophy not cosmology, is an argument in which the existence of god is inferred from alleged facts concerning causation, explanation, change, motion, contingency, dependency, or finitude with respect to the universe or some totality of objects. An examination of the cosmological argument william rowe brief biographical remarks about william rowe appear before selection i. But by the eighteenth century, anselms basic principle had been more fully elaborated and had received a name, the principle of sufficient reason. Source for information on cosmological argument for the existence of god. While samuel clarkes argument has roots that go back to plato and aristotle, his is often called the second variation of the argument, following in the footsteps of the first three ways listed in thomas aquinas. It is traditionally known as an argument from universal causation, an. Since this principle psr, as we shall call it plays such an important role in justifying the premises of the cosmological argument. Thomas aquinas vertical cosmological arguments for the existence of god. The cosmological argument itself, however, cannot be regarded as a proof for the existence of a logically necessary being, since its premises either express or rest on the psr, whose truth value is at best unknown. Terms in this set 15 the cosmological argument in general 1.
Jun 08, 2019 bruce reichenbach has formulated a fairly typical version of the. Everything is either dependent, selfexistent, or explained by nothing 2. Categories cosmological arguments for theism in philosophy of religion. In chapter ii of william rowes the cosmological argument, rowe presents samuel clarkes argument for the conclusion that something has existed from eternity as follows 1.