1

2

The Philosophy of Religion

Proofs for the Existence of God

The Cosmological Argument The Teleological Argument The Ontological Argument

3

Concepts

4

A Posteriori

After experience

Based upon experience

5

A Priori

Before experience

Not based upon experience

6

The Cosmological Argument

A set of interrelated arguments that claim to prove the existence of God from

generalized facts about the world

7

Argument based upon 3 facts

• 1. Motion / Change

• 2. Causation

• 3. Contingency

8

History of Argument

• Earliest formulation by Plato (427-347 BC)

Aristotle further developed this argument

(384-322 BC)

9

Thomas Aquinas

• The best known formulation is by Thomas Aquinas

(1225-1274)

The Five Ways

10

The Five Ways

• 1st Way: The Way of Change or Motion • 2nd Way: The Way of Causation

• 3rd Way: The Way of Contingency

• 4th Way: The Way of Excellence • 5th Way: The Way of Harmony

11

The 1st Way: The Way of Change or Motion

12

Change or Motion

• The actualization of potential

13

Linear Motion

Motion is a straight line

(Dominions falling)

14

Non-Linear Motion

Change in form

Caterpillar to butterfly Acorn to Oak tree

15

16

The Argument

• 1. All things in the world are in the process of change

• Do you agree with this?

• 2. Anything in a process of change is changed by something else which must be actual

• Do you agree with this?

17

18

Example

• What are the potential uses of a piece of wood?

Chair Table Fuel

Paper

19

All these “uses” are potential that is “inside / embedded” in the piece of

wood

20

How is this potential realized?

Something actual must act upon the piece of wood

21

22

• 3. If the thing causing change in another is itself also in the process of change,

• then it must be changed by yet

another actual thing

• Do you agree with this?

23

• 4. A infinite regression cannot occur because there would be no FIRST CAUSE of change

• Do you agree with this?

24

Example

• How can you tell the difference between a planet and a star in the night

sky?

25

Conclusion

• Therefore, there must be a FIRST CAUSE of change which itself is:

1. Unchanged 2. Purely Actual

3. Has no Potential

26

What we learn about God from the 1st Way

• God is:

• 1. The First Cause for all motion and change

• 2. Purely Actual, has no potential

• 3. Eternal

27

The 2nd Way: The Way of Causation

28

Aristotle 4 Causes

• 1. Material Cause

• 2. Formal Cause

• 3. Efficient Cause

• 4. Final Cause

29

Golden Statue Example

Material Cause:

Tells us what the cause is made of:

GOLD

30

Formal Cause:

Tells us the form of the cause:

STATUE

31

Efficient Cause:

Tells what brought about the existence of the thing:

ARTIST

32

Final Cause:

Tells us what the purpose of the thing is:

WORSHIP

33

The Argument

• 1. In the world, we observe a regular order of efficient causes

• Do you agree with this?

34

• 2. Something cannot be the efficient cause of itself

Because a cause must exist before its

effect Do you agree with this?

35

For something to be the cause of its own existence

it would have to exist (the cause)

before it comes into being (the effect)

• This is impossible

36

• 3. An endless series of efficient causes is not possible Because an infinite regression would occur Do you agree with this?

37

Conclusion

• Therefore, there must be a FIRST CAUSE:

• 1. Which caused everything else in the world to exist

• 2. Is Eternal

38

What we learn about God from the 2nd Way

• God is:

• 1. The First Cause of all that Exists

• Eternal

39

The 3rd Way: The Way of Contingency

40

What does contingent mean?

That something does not have to exist necessarily

• It may or may not exist

• It is dependent upon something else for

its existence

41

The Argument

• 1. Everything in the world is contingent

• Do you agree with this?

42

• 2. If all things that exist in the world are contingent then they must be dependent upon something that exists necessarily

• How else would things actually exist today?

43

Conclusion

4. Therefore, there must be a cause that: exists NECESSARILY

(Not dependent upon anything else for its

existence) That caused things to exists rather

than not exist

44

What we learn about God from the 3rd Way:

• God:

• 1. Exists Necessarily God is not dependent upon anything else for

existence

45

Conclusions from Cosmological Argument

46

God is: • 1. The First Cause for all motion and change

• 2. Purely Actual (has no Potential)

• 3. Is Eternal (Has always Existed) • 4. Exists Necessarily (not dependent upon

anything for existence)

47

4th Way: The Way of Excellence

48

• 1. There are different levels of quality in all things

• 2. “Higher Level” indicates some

ultimate standard by which the comparison is made

49

• 3. Therefore there must be something which has “being / existence” in the highest level

• 4. That which has “being / existence” in the highest level we call God

• Doesn’t “God” refer to the greatest possible being?

50

5th Way: The Way of Harmony

• The Argument from Design

• 1. We see purpose in the natural world (Ecological Systems) 2. Purpose can only arise from

intelligence

51

Conclusion

• Therefore, there must be an intelligence behind the natural world

• We call that God!

52

Criticisms of the Cosmological Argument

• David Hume • (1711-1776)

• Scottish Philosopher • Skeptic

• Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

53

1. Matters of Fact

• The Problem of Induction

• No absolute certainty

• Analytic v. Synthetic Truths

54

Analytic Truths

• Can have absolute Certainty

• True by definition

• “All bachelors are unmarried men”

55

Synthetic Truths

• We learn from experience

• No absolute certainty

• “The sun will rise tomorrow”

56

• Cosmological Argument by definition is based upon experience

• It is a synthetic argument

• Cannot have absolute certainty

57

2. Contingency Problem

• Can’t get necessary from contingent

58

3. Infinite Regression

• Intellectually Satisfying

59

4. Material World is Eternal • Appeal to Occam’s Razor

• Why say God is eternal and he created the world?

• Why not just say the world itself is eternal?

• Its Simpler

60

The Cosmological Argument Revisited

61

Origin of the Universe?

Our choices are: 1. The Universe is Eternal 2. Infinite Regression 3. God created it

62

Inference to the Best Explanation

63

Inference to the Best Explanation

• 1. Do any of the competing explanation conflict with established background knowledge?

• 2. Is there more evidence supporting one explanation than the others?

64

• 3. Is there less evidence against one than the others?

• 4. Which explanation is simpler?

65

Established Background Knowledge

• According to the prevailing Theory of Cosmology

• (Study of the Origin of the Universe)

• The Universe began to exist approximately 15 Billion years ago

• “The Big Bang”

66

The Big Bang Theory

• Approximately 15 Billion years ago everything in the universe was condensed into a mass-less point which exploded

• The Big Bang Theory does not provide a explanation as to why this explosion occurred

67

The Claim That:

• The universe is eternal or the result of an infinite regression

• Is not Supported by current cosmology

68

Conclusion

Therefore the explanation that the

universe is eternal or the result of an infinite regression

does not provide the best explanation

for the origin of the universe

69

Quantum Mechanics

• According to quantum mechanics,

• for every event to become actualized the quantum wave function must collapse

(an observation must take place)

Wave Function

• A mathematical equation that describes a physical system and how it will evolve over time

• Wave Functions can only describe what will happen in terms of probability

The Collapse of the Wave Function

• Only when a measurement is taken is the wave function said to collapse

• to become a reality, not a probability

74

Question

• What caused the Universal Wave Function to collapse which resulted in the Big Bang?

75

Conclusion

• Cause of the UWF collapse must be: • Necessary

• Non-physical • Not part of the universe

• A temporal • Eternal

• Uncaused

76

Sounds like God!