The Cosmological Argument (Causation or ‘first cause’ theory)

The Cosmological Argument(Causation or ‘first cause’ theory) Learning Objectives: • To explain the argument for causation • To evaluate whether this argument proves God exists.

Aquinas’ Cosmological Arguments If something unexpected happens we always try to see what caused it. Science teaches us that things do not happen by themselves. St Thomas Aquinas was a well respected philosopher and a theologian (religious authority) He argued that the cause of everything was God.

Aquinas’s five ways Aquinas presented FIVE WAYS which he believed showed that God existed.

The Uncaused Cause • Everything has a cause • That cause must be caused by something else. • BUT you cannot have an infinite chain of causes it must all begin somewhere or there would be no reason for movement to get started at all. • Therefore there must be something or someone that does not need to be caused by something else. • The only thing powerful enough to not need a cause would be God. • Therefore God must exist.

The Uncaused Cause in simple talk means… Everything/everyone is caused by something. Nothing is caused on its own. BUT Something has to start ALL of this. That something is what people understand as ‘God’.

Questions • Who was St Thomas Aquinas? • What question did Aquinas say we should begin thinking about? • What is another name for the causation argument? • How would Aquinas explain the big bang theory? • Do you think this proves God exists? Explain your answer.

Task 1 Create a flow chart to explain the argument of causation. Everything must have a cause ?

Task 2 • Come up with your own analogy to explain the first cause argument, e.g., my pen was thrown, this was caused by ….

Task 3 • What are some of the strengths of the cosmological argument? • In pairs write down what you think are the strengths of this argument.

Strengths • To say that God is uncaused even though everything needs a cause is not a contradiction because God is a special case. • Suggests meaning and purpose for human life and suggests the existence of a creator who cares for us • Gives a simple and understandable account of the origin of the universe

What are some of the difficulties of the cosmological argument? • beginning of the universe according to family guy • Beginning of the universe for rednecks

Task 4 What are some of the weaknesses of the cosmological argument? In pairs write down what you think are the weaknesses of this argument.

Weaknesses • It goes against the idea of infinity • It is based on belief only with no scientific support • Uses biblical texts and philosophical arguments which are all open to a variety of interpretations

Weaknesses • It is not logical to say that everything needs a cause then to say God doesn’t- ‘uncaused cause’ is an oxymoron! • Even if you argue successfully that all causes require a cause, you can not prove that the first cause was a being called God. Maybe there was a committee of gods.

Maybe the first cause was the Christian God, but Him being the 1st cause does not prove he’s still around. Maybe he’s not the loving God Aquinas made out and decided to have nothing to do with the world after he made it. (maybe this is why suffering exists?) • Quantum physics disagrees with the First Cause concept as it argues that things DO spontaneously appear and disappear without any cause

Richard Dawkins • the argument shouldn’t assume that God is an exception to the rule

David Hume • why does the universe need a beginning? If God can be self-caused why can’t this be true of the universe itself? • we are trying to prove things beyond our experience by using our own limited experience. • how can we know what happened at the beginning of the universe when none of us was there?

Bertrand Russell • ‘the universe is just there and that’s all. We should just accept that it exists.’

Stephen Hawking even if there was a first cause, there is no evidence to prove it was a monotheistic God. It could have been anything.

The Cosmological Argument (Causation or ‘first cause’ theory)