The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Cosmological Argument...

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God The cosmological argument seeks to prove the existence of God by looking at the universe. It is an A posteriori proof based on experience and the observation of the world not logic so the outcome is probable or possible not definite. The argument is in three forms; motion, causation and being. These are also the first three ways in the five ways presented by Aquinas through which he believed the existence of God could be shown. Aquinas regarded Aristotle as the principal philosopher so many of these concepts originate in the thinking of Aristotle. One example of the cosmological argument is the argument of†¦show more content†¦Therefore, it is more believable that the universe had a beginning and a personal creator. The third of Aquinas ways is the argument of contingency. The world consists of contingent items- items that have a property are items referred to as being. These items are generated and perish; they have a beginning and an end. There must have once been a time when nothing existed. But then how did these items come into being? There must be something or someone able to bring other items into being without itself being brought into being. This necessary being is God. These arguments are strong ones for the existence of God, built upon clear and apparently true observations of the world around us. However, there are many criticisms. Hume argued that both Thomas Aquinas and William Lane Craig contradict themselves by firstly denying the possibility of the infinite, but then claiming that there must have been an infinite being. How can this be so? Supporters of the argument could use the idea that God is unique and outside the laws of nature. But even so, this point weakens the argument as there is no proof of the attributes of God. Many may ask these questions: Why does the universe have to be caused? Why cannot it always have been there? The human mind seems incapable of comprehending the idea of infinity, yet we accept the idea of an immortal being. AShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God996 Words   |  4 Pages The Cosmological Argument attempts to prove that God exists by showing that there cannot be an infinite number of regressions of causes to things that exist. It states that there must be a final uncaused-cause of all things. This uncaused-cause is asserted to be God. Arguments like this are thought up to recognize why we and the universe exist. The Cosmological Argument takes several forms but is basically represented below. Cosmological Argument ThingsRead MoreExplain the Strengths and Weaknesses of Aquinas Cosmological Argument1203 Words   |  5 Pagesa) Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Aquinas’ cosmological arguments. The cosmological argument is an a posteriori argument based on the question of the relation of the universe’s existence and God’s existence. 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