To deny the conclusion of the Cosmological argument is to accept the truth of a number of seemingly controversial empirical claims. The sceptic’s forced acceptance of these empirical claims imposes upon them a smaller set of possible worlds which are consistent with the non-existence of a God. Thus‚ in this regard the Cosmological argument remains firmly ‘alive’ as what Swinburne calls a ‘correct C-Inductive argument’‚ as it succeeds in adding to the probability of the theistic conclusion . Peterson
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Kant analyses three proofs for God’s existence‚ the ontological‚ cosmological‚ and physio-theological. I will be focusing on the cosmological proof. Kant believes the cosmological argument is impossible due to the argument’s reliance on the ontological argument. Kant argues against the ontological proof by stating that ‘god is perfect’ does not hold since god’s perfection is contingent upon god’s existence; the argument is tautological. The cosmological argument assumes that based on our experience
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The existence of god has been a question that has plagued mankind since people began to think logically. Many philosophers argue that there may or may not be a god‚ or that there may even be different types of gods. It is difficult to say whether or not god can exist because there is a lack of knowledge or limited knowledge regarding the issue. Mankind has only been around for so long and can only know so much. Who knows what we could be possibly be missing in this quest to find the ultimate answer
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Examine the key ideas of the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument seeks to prove the existence of God on the basis that the universe has not always been in existence and so for it to be created‚ an external cause was necessary; this outside agent is viewed as God. It creates à posteriori knowledge which provides inductive explanations and makes conclusions on ideas based on actual experiences. It is a non-propositional argument so it cannot be proven but can be argued by offering
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“Explain the argument from religious experience for the existence of God.”30 marks Expect different forms of the argument from religious experience‚ e.g. inductive argument‚ direct awareness‚ cumulative argument. Also expect reference to Swinburne’s principle of credulity and principle of testimony. Maximum Level 2 if summary of types of religious experience with no reference to argument for God. ------------------------------------------------- Level 7 for one fully developed argument‚ or two that
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a) Explain Aquinas Cosmological Argument The Cosmological Argument is a posteriori argument (knowledge gained after experience) which attempts to prove that there is a rational basis for the belief in God. This argument is synthetic as it uses senses and is distinctive as it uses evidence of the universe to prove that God exists. The argument attempts to prove that God exists by evaluating the scale and nature of the cosmos. In order for this argument to succeed it has to be inductive and produce
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From the arguments discussed in class‚ I choose to evaluate Thomas Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument. Aquinas offers a believable case for the existence of God through five arguments. The arguments are “a posteriori arguments” with five strategies (Aquinas 52). The first argues that there is an unmoved mover that originated all motion but the mover‚ itself‚ does not move. The second argument concludes: “there must be a first cause to explain the existence of cause” (Aquinas 52). The third argument says
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conveys a powerful argument regarding the existence of God. The first concept that he outlines is that since every idea must be caused‚ and if he has an idea that he isn’t the cause of‚ then something other than him must exist. The next step of Descartes’s argument states that all ideas of material reality could have only originated within him‚ but the idea of God‚ a perpetual and flawless being could not have originated from Descartes since he himself isn’t perpetual and flawless like God. Furthermore
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To what extent is the cosmological argument weak? Although the cosmological argument is a strong argument for the theory that the universe it is a weak argument for the existence of the classical theological God. Thomas Aquinas was a very important man to the cosmological argument; it was him who came up with some of the strongest theories to support the argument. He came up with his five proofs which to him proved the cosmological argument to be true. One of his proof was the ‘cause’ proof
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Aquinas’ cosmological argument (30) St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) was a Dominican priest‚ theologian‚ and philosopher. In one of his most famous works‚ the Summa‚ Theologiae‚ Aquinas put forward five proofs for the existence of God. Three of his ways‚ which will be discussed in this essay start with the observation of motion‚ efficient causation and contingency. The other two are the argument for Degrees and Perfection and The Argument from Intelligent Design. This is a posterior argument meaning
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