These criticisms come not only from Western scholars but also Islamic ones. Premise 2: The universe began to exist. Morriston W (2000). Wouldn’t this require an explanation? The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Al-Ghazzali is unconvinced by the first-cause arguments of Kindi. a. finite b. possible c. impossible d. necessary. On what grounds is thisassumption made? Anscombe, '"Whatever has a beginning of existence must have a cause": Hume's argument exposed', Analysis XXXIV (1974), 150. The Universe began to exist. [3], The most prominent form of the argument, as defended by William Lane Craig, states the Kalam cosmological argument as the following brief syllogism:[4], Given the conclusion, Craig appends a further premise and conclusion based upon a conceptual analysis of the properties of the cause of the universe:[5]. true. Is there an alternative to this argument? Averroes, Ibn Rushd, The Incoherence of the Incoherence (Tahafut al-Tahafut) London:Luzac, 1954, pp. 90–91, Quentin Smith, "Kalam Cosmological Arguments for Atheism", in Michael Martin (ed. There are a handful of famous arguments for the existence of a god. Steady-state eternal inflation; Phys. Formally, it is valid. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa theologiae, presented two versions of the cosmological argument: the first-cause argument and the argument from contingency.The first-cause argument begins with the fact that there is change in the world, and a change is always the effect of some cause or causes. The Kalam Cosmological Argument The Cosmological Argument attempted to prove that, regardless of whether or not the universe has a finite past, it requires a cause that is outside of the universe. Referring to the implications of Classical Theism that follow from this argument, Craig writes:[6]. In recent years, Christian philosopher William Lane Craig has brought the Kalam Cosmological Argument back into the spotlight. However, it is only one of many indicators and evidences pointing to the existence of God the Creator as revealed by the Bible. God, according to these religions, is a being who is supremely wise, good and powerful, and who loves us as a father does his children. He adds a further point: that the cause must be a personal cause which itself is outside of nature. What causes this contingent being to exist must be a set that contains either only contingent beings or a set t… Since the beginning of the universe marks the beginning of all physical entities its also the beginning of space and time (or space-time) itself. That is, if premises 1 & 2 are true, the conclusion (3) necessarily follows. God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion. 2. Is there an alternative to this argument? D 65, 083507. Premise 2. It was refined in the 11th century by Al-Ghazali (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), and in the 12th by Ibn Rushd (Averroes). 5 It is important to note, however, that the KCA is not intrinsically predicated on any one religion, nor is it restricted to monotheism. Scientific confirmation against a past-infinite universe in the form of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. 4. The Principle of Proportional Causality (PPC), which states that whatever is present in the effect must be somehow present in the cause, would require the patterns and information of the universe to be present within the cause somehow. [15] Al-Ghazali was unconvinced by the first-cause arguments of Al-Kindi, arguing that only the infinite per se is impossible, arguing for the possibility of the infinite per accidens. 2. In a review of Krauss's book, he states: Likewise, Craig has argued that the quantum vacuum, in containing quantifiable, measurable energy, cannot be described as 'nothing', therefore, that phenomena originating from the quantum vacuum cannot be described as 'uncaused'. 15–16. According to Craig The Kalam Cosmological Argument is an exercise in positive deist apology which aims to demonstrate that the existence of god can be inferred to be highly probable. 5. Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 44 (1993): 623-639. This is the formulation of the argument which I understand you to be using: 1. The Main Argument. 1. [William Lane Craig, The Kalam Cosmological Argument, THE Macmillan Press LTD, 1979, p.63] We may present the basic argument in a variety of ways. If A Theory is correct, all past moments would have to occur before the present, which would vindicate the first premise. The Kalam cosmological argument is based on the concept of the prime-mover, introduced by Aristotle, and entered early Christian or Neoplatonist philosophy in Late Antiquity, being developed by John Philoponus. It consists of two premises that lead to a logically deductive conclusion. [54] Philosopher Yuri Balashov has criticised Craig's attempt to reconcile the A-theory with special relativity by relying on a ‘neo‐Lorentzian interpretation’ of Special Relativity. The structure of the premises for this argument are: Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. First Philosophical Argument 2. The kalam cosmological argument doesn’t prove, by itself, that the First Cause is the God of the Bible. Premise 1 seems to be true. Bonaventure.[10][11][12]. yet stronger version of the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of God. KALAM COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT AND THE MODERN SCIENCE Kader 2 16/1, 2018 Cosmological argument is not only an argument based on some out of date medieval Introduction Cosmological argument is a type of argument for the existence of God. Modern discourse encompasses the fields of both philosophy and science (quantum physics and cosmology), which Bruce Reichenbach summarises as: Craig defends the first premise as follows:[20][21], According to Reichenbach, "the Causal Principle has been the subject of extended criticism", which can be divided into philosophical and scientific criticisms.[22]. The universe has a beginning of its existence. According to Kalam cosmological argument, it is precisely as the universe is thought to have a beginning in time that its existence is thought to stand in need of explanation. Premise One The Bible tells us, from the very first verse, that God created the universe. Let’s examine both philosophical arguments and scientific evidence in support of premise 2. Cosmological Argument - Kalam Argument Answer: e Question 9 3 out of 3 points According to David Hume, God is best defined as "the greatest conceivable being." Causes and Beginnings in the Kalam Argument. Moreover, that Craig takes his argument too far beyond what his premises allow in deducing that the creating agent is greater than the universe. The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Physical Review Letters 90 (15): 151301. Founded on similar reasoning, the Kalam Cosmological Argument was developed by Muslim philosophers in the Middle Ages, but has not lost any of its philosophical power over the centuries. According to Plato and Aristotle, this greatest mover, or the “prime mover,” must be god, and thus is the first formulation of the cosmological argument. The mathematical impossibility of forming an actual infinite by successive addition. 3. This suggests a creator. He states: In reply, Craig has maintained that causal laws are unrestricted metaphysical truths that are "not contingent upon the properties, causal powers, and dispositions of the natural kinds of substances which happen to exist", remarking: A common objection to premise one appeals to the phenomenon of quantum indeterminacy, where, at the subatomic level, the causal principle appears to break down. Craig) 1. In this context, "Thomistic" means "by Thomas Aquinas". Vilenkin, A. I would say no less special than a true beginning of the universe. To arrive at this conclusion, the argument employs facts concerning causation, cosmology, and contingency, as related to the beginning or coming into being of the universe. This suggests a creator. This is the logical form of William Lane Craig's Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God. The argument is fairly straightforward and enjoys intuitive support. This premise seems intuitively obvious. This feature distinguishes it from other cosmological arguments, such as that of Thomas Aquinas, which rests on the impossibility of a causally ordered infinite regress, and those of Leibniz and Samuel Clarke, which refer to the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Another criticism comes from Thomist philosopher Dr. Edward Feser who claims that past and future events are potential rather than actual, meaning that an infinite past could exist in a similar way to how an infinite number of potential halfway points exist between any two given points (as was discussed in one of Zeno's paradoxes). Craig concludes that the cause of the existence of the universe is an "uncaused, personal Creator ... who sans the universe is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless and enormously powerful"; remarking upon the theological implications of this union of properties. For example, when an artist creates a wooden sculpture, the wood is the material cause and the artist is the efficient cause. However, that's not what the premise is arguing. "The LORD made the heavens" (1 Chronicles 16:26). It was popularized in the western world by William Lane Craig in his book, The Kalām Cosmological Argument (1979). Quantum mechanics does not in fact posit something coming from nothing, but rather things coming from the quantum vacuum–which is not “nothing.” 2) Universe has a beginning of existence. The word "kalam" is Arabic for "speaking" but more generally the word can be interpreted as "theological philosophy.". Crossref Alex Malpass, Wes Morriston, Endless and Infinite, The Philosophical Quarterly, 10.1093/pq/pqaa005, (2020). A first state of the material world cannot have a material explanation and must originate, Even if positing a plurality of causes prior to the origin of the universe, the causal chain must terminate in a cause which is absolutely first and. Answer: This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the claim. ... the cosmological argument is a dead end. The sources used in this presentation are documented according to current Modern Language Association standards. Philosopher Quentin Smith has cited the example of virtual particles, which appear and disappear from observation, apparently at random, to assert the tenability of uncaused natural phenomena. There are several such arguments (and other related ones), including the Argument from First Cause, the Kalam Cosmological Argument (advanced by William Lane Craig), and the Argument for an Unmoved Mover. If the universe has a cause, then an uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists who sans (without) the universe is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless and enormously powerful. In a critique of Craig's book The Kalam Cosmological Argument, published in 1979, Michael Martin states:[50], Martin also claims that Craig has not justified his claim of creation "ex nihilo", pointing out that the universe may have been created from pre-existing material in a timeless or eternal state. According to the Kalam Cosmological Argument, everything that exists had a beginning, and everything that had a beginning had a cause. Islamic philosophy enriches thetradition, developing two types of arguments. He appeals to David Hume's thesis (An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding) that effects without causes can be conceived in the mind, and that what is conceivable in the mind is possible in the real world. [33] Craig replies that the phenomenon of indeterminism is specific to the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, pointing out that this is only one of a number of different interpretations, some of which he states are fully deterministic (mentioning David Bohm) and none of which are as yet known to be true. William Lane Craig’s recent form of the Kalam Cosmological argument: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The first premiss of the kalam cosmological argument is obviously more plausibly true than its contradictory. Cosmological Argument - Kalam Argument According to Craig, the Kalam Cosmological Argument is constructed as follows: Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. But, imagine that we could prove that the universe DOES have a finite past? It is named after the kalam (medieval Islamic scholasticism) from which its key ideas originated. He adds a further point: that the cause must be a personal cause which itself is outside of nature. [26] This argument has been criticised by Bruce Reichenbach and G.E.M. An infinite amount of time can never truly pass (because infinite time would never run out). Faith and Philosophy, 17:149. World-famous philosopher William Lane Craig (WLC) is perhaps most famous for his popularization of the Kalam Cosmological Argument. Smith, Q (1988), "The Uncaused Beginning of the Universe," Philosophy of Science 55:39-57. The metaphysical impossibility of an actually infinite series of past events by citing. [1], Since Craig's original publication, the Kalam cosmological argument has elicited public debate between Craig and Graham Oppy, Adolf Grünbaum, J. L. Mackie and Quentin Smith, and has been used in Christian apologetics. The Kalam cosmological argument fails as a proof of the existence of God. The cause of its existence is something other than itself. Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. This contingent being has a cause of its existence. Introduction In his defense of the kalam cosmological argument, William Lane Craig defends the theory of time commonly referred to as the A-theory.1 According to the A-theory, time exists approximately the way we experience it, with future moments constantly coming He writes: According to the atheist philosopher Quentin Smith, "a count of the articles in the philosophy journals shows that more articles have been published about Craig’s defense of the Kalam argument than have been published about any other philosopher’s contemporary formulation of an argument for God’s existence. Kalam cosmological argument The Kalam cosmological argument on the other hand targets to prove that the universe had an origin at some point in the finite past and, because something cannot exist out of nothing, therefore there has to be a transcendent cause that brought the universe into existence. 3- Therefore, the universe had a cause. Arguing About The Kalam Cosmological Argument. Must the Beginning of the Universe Have a Personal Cause? Through the decay of uranium, lead is causedto come into existence, the car factory causes the car to come into existence, and your parents caused you to come into existence. Craig’s Kalam Cosmological argument can be stated formally as follows: Premise 1: Whatever beings to exist has a cause. Good day, Mr Minton, I've happened to stumble upon your blog post on the Kalam Cosmological Argument, and I seem to have a few objections which I don't think you have ever addressed, whether in that blog post or in the blog category. The argument's key underpinning idea is the metaphysical impossibility of actual infinities and of a temporally past-infinite universe, traced by Craig to 11th-century Persian Muslim scholastic philosopher Al-Ghazali. According to Craig, the kalam cosmological argument establishes that _____. Since the beginning of the universe marks the beginning of all physical entities its also the beginning of … He concludes that subatomic physics is not a proven exception to the first premise.[34]. A contingent being exists. Graham Oppy maintains that, despite my replies, the critiques of the kalam cosmological argument offered by A. Grünbaum, P. Davies, and S. Hawking succeed in showing that kalam arguments are not “rationally compelling pieces of natural theology.” [1] The phrase is reminiscent of Alvin Plantinga’s disclaimer about the ontological argument. Introduction In his defense of the kalam cosmological argument, William Lane Craig defends the theory of time commonly referred to as the A-theory.1 According to the A-theory, time exists approximately the way we experience it, with future moments constantly coming We also know that "the LORD, the everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33) is eternal and infinite. Cosmological Argument - Kalam Argument According to Craig, the Kalam Cosmological Argument is constructed as follows: Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. Kalām cosmological argument (Persian: برهان الحدوث) or so called argument form temporality (Huduth) is a general term for the theologians' theoretical arguments for the existence of God.The main content of this argument is depended on the feature of temporality of the universe and existents. The Kalam Cosmological Argument For God (2007) ISBN 1-59102-473-0; Digital Bits Skeptic. and persuasive proof for the existence of God is The Kalam Cosmological Argument based on the impossibility of an infinite temporal regress of events. I find this argument kind of fascinating. According to Kalam cosmological argument, it is precisely as the universe is thought to have a beginning in time that its existence is thought to stand in need of explanation. A Kalam Cosmological Argument Bibliography Lists dozens of articles relating to the argument, with links to most of them. 3. Craig says an actually infinite number of things _____. So I think that the first premise of the kalam cosmological argument is surely true. [14] It reached medieval Christian philosophy in the 13th century and was discussed by Bonaventure, as well as Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica (I, q.2, a.3) and Summa Contra Gentiles (I, 13). The Kalam Cosmological Argument is one of the most popular cosmological arguments around today. the universe is finite in the past and began to exist. All Rights Reserved. Scientific evidence that the universe began to exist a finite time ago at the Big Bang. "[45], At the "State of the Universe" conference at Cambridge University in January 2012, Vilenkin discussed problems with various theories that would claim to avoid the need for a cosmological beginning, alleging the untenability of eternal inflation, cyclic and cosmic egg models, eventually concluding: "All the evidence we have says that the universe had a beginning. According to Craig Lahore: Pakistan Philosophical Congress, 1963 pp. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing, ‘neo‐Lorentzian interpretation’ of Special Relativity, Professor Mackie and the Kalam Cosmological Argument, Must the Beginning of the Universe Have a Personal Cause? Other forms of the cosmological argument are consistent with the universe having an infinite past. : A Rejoinder, The Existence of God and the Beginning of the Universe, Why Physicists Can't Avoid A Creation Event, "Presentism, Ontology and Temporal Experience", "Initial Arguments: A Defense of the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God", "Cosmological Argument: The Causal Principle and Quantum Physics", "Methuselah's Diary and the Finitude of the Past", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kalam_cosmological_argument&oldid=991102907, Wikipedia articles that may have off-topic sections from September 2014, All articles that may have off-topic sections, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from November 2020, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The universe began to exist. The more controversial premise in the argument is premise 2, that the universe began to exist. Universe is defined as all space-time reality. Conclusion: Therefore, the universe has a cause. In addition to Occam's Razor, it may be argued that the unicity and coherence of the universe implies a single agent behind the creation of the universe. The Kalam Cosmological Argument, as made famous by William Lane Craig, is among the most popular arguments for God among online Christians. The kalam argument is not an attempt to avoid certain conclusions, but is a concession to the only rational conclusion possible. Philosopher Michael Martin has also referred to quantum vacuum fluctuation models to support the idea of a universe with uncaused beginnings. The claim of the first premise is “whatever begins to exist had a cause.” It’s often demonstrated by listing the causal principle “something cannot come from nothing,” or ex nihilo, nihilo fit. Although in Western philosophy the earliest formulation of a versionof the cosmological argument is found in Plato’s Laws,893–96, the classical argument is firmly rooted inAristotle’s Physics (VIII, 4–6) andMetaphysics (XII, 1–6). Therefore, the Universe had a cause. David Hume to John Stewart, February 1754, in The Letters of David Hume, 2 vols., ed. Victor J. Stenger. The third and fourth arguments he presents are similar versions of the first cause argument, and hence are subject to the same criticisms that apply to any cosmological argument. Craig. Premise 2: The universe began to exist. The kalam cosmological argument (KCA) A material cause is the stuff something is made out of, and an efficient cause is that which produces an effect. According to the kalam cosmological argument, it is because the universe is thought to have a beginning in time that its existence is thought to stand in need of explanation (Philosophy of Religion, 2018). According to the Kalam Cosmological Argument, everything that exists had a beginning, and everything that had a beginning had a cause. William Lane Craig. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Cosmological argument, Form of argument used in natural theology to prove the existence of God. So I think that the first premise of the kalam cosmological argument is surely true. ), The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 183, Oppy G (2002). KALAM COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT AND THE MODERN SCIENCE Kader 2 16/1, 2018 Cosmological argument is not only an argument based on some out of date medieval Introduction Cosmological argument is a type of argument for the existence of God. (2007) Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes, p.175, Aguirre A and Gratton S (2002). The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Rev. Since this information cannot exist in a material way (e.g., how a ball possesses a spherical pattern), it must exist in an immaterial way. It was popularized in the western world by William Lane Craig in his book, The Kalām Cosmological Argument (1979). Let’s begin by analyzing the first premise: “Whatever begins to exist has a cause.” We see examples of this every day in our lives. The universe began to exist. Its historic proponents include Al-Kindi,[8] Al-Ghazali,[9] and St. The argument generally goes something like this: This argument presupposes presentism or the A Theory of time. The Kalam Cosmological Argument is a product of the tradition of Islamic science known as Ilm al-Kalam, which was established in order to defend the Islamic faith against academic criticism. Aristotle, a deist, posited that this first cause was the creator of the universe. As MarkWebberFan should already know, the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA) has a core syllogism that is as follows: P1 everything that begins to exist, has a cause P2 the universe began exist C1 The universe has a cause II.Broader Conversation. The Kalam-Cosmological Argument (KCA) is based upon the idea that the universe has an absolute beginning in time and therefor necessarily has to have a cause of its existence. It is named after the kalam These arguments maintain that everything that exists or occurs must have had a cause. Therefore, it follows that the universe cannot be infinitely old and began to exist. This cause must be a transcendent, uncaused, immaterial, nonphysical, and unimaginably powerful, personal being. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity P. 469. The two volumes of The Kalam Cosmological Argument contain twenty-nine essays of high quality that are divided into three parts, each of which critically examines a central premise of the Kalam cosmological argument by analyzing the philosophical and scientific evidence for and against its truth. Premise 2. It is named after the kalam (medieval Islamic scholasticism) from which its key ideas originated. The first argument states that an actual infinite cannot, The second argument states that an actual infinite cannot be. The Kalam cosmological argument is based on the concept of the prime-mover, introduced by Aristotle, and entered early Christian or Neoplatonist philosophy in Late Antiquity, being developed by John Philoponus. Graham Smith, “Arguing about the Kalam Cosmological Argument,” Philo, 5(1), 2002: 34–61. Therefore, an uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists, who sans the universe is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless and infinitely powerful. Therefore, the cause must possess all information in the universe and is thus all-knowing. the mental concept of a sphere). number of Islamic philosophers of the Kalam school, becoming thus known as the Kalam cosmological argument.2 In recent times this proof for the existence of God has been defended by William Craig in a number of publications (Craig 1979, 1980, 1984, 1991). Al-Ghazali’s Argument (Kalam Cosmological Argument by Dr. William Ln. It is basic logic, not doctrine, which suggests there is a First Cause (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18–20). Whatever begins to exist has a cause. According to the second law of thermodynamics, a closed system moves to thermodynamic equilibrium, or as expressed by Craig, ‘a closed system runs out of energy.’ Craig argues that if the universe existed ‘forever’ it would by now have run out of energy, therefore it had a beginning. In addition to the above arguments, several points can be made which draw further conclusions about the nature of the cause. The basic cosmological argument merely establishes that a First Cause exists, not that it has the attributes of a theistic god, such as omniscience, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence. A. Borde, A. Guth and A. Vilenkin (2003). One of my favorite arguments for God’s existence is called the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA). After all, according to Craig, the universe is a closed system since its beginning. To me that is not really the argument proposed. Sure, common-day objects such as tables and chairs "begin to exist" inthe sense that the arrangement of matter that people agree are "tables" and"chairs" begin to "exist" when someone arranges the matter in those preciseways. ... Paley's argument, if cogent, proves the existence of the Christian God. Prometheus Books, 2012. The Bible teaches very clearly that God is the uncaused First Cause who created the universe by willing it into existence. Cosmological arguments attempt to show that a god is necessary from principles of causation. 1) Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. I think it is a mistake to critique the Kalam argument, taken as an argument for theism, on the first two premises (as nearly all of its critics do). Syllogistically, it can [2] According to Michael Martin, the cosmological arguments presented by Craig, Bruce Reichenbach, and Richard Swinburne are "among the most sophisticated and well argued in contemporary theological philosophy". The classical Kalam cosmological argument for the existence of God consistsof six statements: This first premise has two major flaws: 1) It assumes that things can begin to exist. This is by no means obvious. "The Caused Beginning of the Universe: a Response to Quentin Smith." [35] In his book A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing, cosmologist Lawrence Krauss has proposed how quantum mechanics can explain how space-time and matter can emerge from 'nothing' (referring to the quantum vacuum). The Kalam Cosmological Argument is consistent with the biblical account of the beginning of the universe and of the 'First Cause'. According to Craig, the Kalam Cosmological Argument is constructed as follows: Cosmological Argument - What Does The Bible Say? 141–172. What if the universe just popped into existence one day? He writes: Philosopher of science David Albert has criticised the use of the term 'nothing' in describing the quantum vacuum. J. T. Grieg (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932), 1, 187. Moreover, a primary metaphysical principle states, “out of nothing, nothing comes.” Consider the fact that if something could come from absolutely nothing, then anything … Cosmological Argument - What Is It? If the PPC is not accepted, given that the cause of the universe must be a personal and free agent, the complexity and precision of the universe implies extreme intelligence. 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. But for information to exist in an immaterial way is what is classically defined as intellect (e.g. Morriston W (2002). If the past were infinitely long, an infinite amount of time would have had to pass before today. This is why the argument is often expanded to show that at least some of these attributes are necessarily true, for instance in the modern Kalam argument given above. Philosophical foundations for a Christian worldview. 2 Chronicles 2:6 states: "...the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him". Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 1) Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. Copyright The kalam cosmological argument (KCA) is a notable theistic argument that attempts to demonstrate three claims, namely, (1) that the universe had a beginning, (2) that the universe has a cause of its beginning, and (3) that this cause is a transcendent, personal being (or God) . Every differentiation, including humans, is an incidental aspect of a single being, the energy, which is the universe. Faith and philosophy, 19(2). [58], Premise one: "Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The second of these premises requires some more explanation. This page was last edited on 28 November 2020, at 07:54. © 2002-2020 A classic which has recently been re-polished and re-popularized, it has withstood the test of time in its field. Andrew Ter Ern Loke, The Kalam Cosmological Argument and Divine Omniscience: an Evaluation of Recent Discussions in Sophia, Sophia, 10.1007/s11841-020-00793-6, (2020). 58, Iqbal, Muhammad The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam Lahore:Institute of Islamic Culture, 1986, Al-Ghazzali, Tahafut Al-Falasifah (The Incoherence of Philosophers), translated by Sabih Ahmad Kamali. Consult the cited works of Craig for a more thorough statement and defense of the argument… This is the formulation of the argument which I understand you to be using: 1. The Kalām Cosmological Argument is a 1979 book by the philosopher William Lane Craig, in which the author offers a contemporary defense of the Kalām cosmological argument and argues for the existence of God, with an emphasis on the alleged metaphysical impossibility of an infinite regress of past events. [23][24][25] Oppy states: Mackie affirms that there is no good reason to assume a priori that an uncaused beginning of all things is impossible. Good day, Mr Minton, I've happened to stumble upon your blog post on the Kalam Cosmological Argument, and I seem to have a few objections which I don't think you have ever addressed, whether in that blog post or in the blog category. According to Craig, the kalam cosmological argument establishes that _____. THE KALAM COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (Written not by Curtis Hrischuk but by some other fellow) What follows is a short presentation of the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God. First Philosophical Argument [57], It has recently been argued that a defense of the Kalam cosmological argument does not have to involve such a commitment to the A-theory. A. Çubukçu and H. Atay (Ankara: University of Ankara Press, 1962), pp. [55] Balashov claims:[56], Craig has criticised Balashov for adopting a verificationist methodology that fails to address the metaphysical and theological foundations of the A-theory. The second premise follows also from A Theory along with the nature of infinity being endless. The universe began to exist. number of Islamic philosophers of the Kalam school, becoming thus known as the Kalam cosmological argument.2 In recent times this proof for the existence of God has been defended by William Craig in a number of publications (Craig 1979, 1980, 1984, 1991). Cosmological Argument - History "[17], The Kalam cosmological argument has received criticism from philosophers such as J. L. Mackie, Graham Oppy, Michael Martin, Quentin Smith, physicists Paul Davies, Lawrence Krauss and Victor Stenger, and authors such as Dan Barker.[18]. AllAboutPhilosophy.org, Thomas Aquinas, a Christian, then expanded on Aristotle's ideas in the 13th century AD and molded the first cause-concept into a framework in which the cause of the universe itself is uncaused: the First Cause is God. "His mighty power rules forever" (Psalm 66:7). This is by no means obvious. "Inflationary space-times are incomplete in past directions". Given that the Kalam cosmological argument is a deductive argument, if both premises are true, the truth of the conclusion follows necessarily. The universe began to exist. Kalam cosmological argument The Kalam cosmological argument on the other hand targets to prove that the universe had an origin at some point in the finite past and, because something cannot exist out of nothing, therefore there has to be a transcendent cause that brought the universe into existence. Let’s examine it … According to the kalam cosmological argument, it is because the universe is thought to have a beginning in time that its existence is thought to stand in need of explanation (Philosophy of Religion, 2018). Therefore, the universe cannot be infinitely old. 3. Michael Martin disagrees with these assertions by Craig, saying: Andrew Loke has argued against the metaphysical possibility of a beginningless universe as well as that of an actual infinite existing in the real world.[49]. Philo 5 (1):34-61. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa theologiae, presented two versions of the cosmological argument: the first-cause argument and the argument from contingency.The first-cause argument begins with the fact that there is change in the world, and a change is always the effect of some cause or causes. 6. 2. The matter i… The Kalam-Cosmological Argument (KCA) is based upon the idea that the universe has an absolute beginning in time and therefor necessarily has to have a cause of its existence. Follows the Logical Structure. We know that God is not Himself a physical part of the universe. [27][28] Craig notes: Morriston asserts that causal laws are physical processes for which we have intuitive knowledge in the context of events within time and space, but that such intuitions do not hold true for the beginning of time itself. Craig justifies premise two using both physical arguments with evidence from cosmology and physics, and metaphysical arguments for the impossibility of actual infinities in reality. Islamic perspectives may be divided into positive Aristotelian responses strongly supporting the argument, such as those by Al-Kindi, and Averroes, and negative responses critical of it, including those by Al-Ghazali and Muhammad Iqbal. The more controversial premise in the argument is premise 2, that the universe began to exist. Anscombe, who point out the phenomenological and logical problems in inferring factual possibility from conceivability. [51], In the subsequent Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, published in 2009, Craig discusses the properties of the cause of the universe, explaining how they follow by entailment from the initial syllogism of the Kalam cosmological argument:[52]. G.E.M. Similarly, in light of both philosophical argument and scientific evidence, its second premiss, though more controversial, is again more plausibly true than its negation. The universe began to … I will, thus, present the KCA as the following syllogism (cf. Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence. Cosmological argument, Form of argument used in natural theology to prove the existence of God. Moreover, that the Causal Principle cannot be extrapolated to the universe from inductive experience. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2- The universe began to exist. Let's evaluate it. Francis J. Kovach, 'The Question of the Eternity of the World in St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas – A Critical Analysis', Southwestern Journal of Philosophy 5 (1974), pp. The… You are right that the original Kalam cosmological argument refers only the space-time universe that we observe, that particular universe we human beings inhabit that is now believed by the majority of mainstream scientists to have come into being 14 billion or so years ago with the "Big Bang", etc. Conclusion: Therefore, the universe has a cause. Let’s examine both philosophical arguments and scientific evidence in support of premise 2. I find this argument kind of fascinating. 'First cause arguments' were set forth by Plato and Aristotle in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. "[46], On the impossibility of actual infinities, Craig asserts:[47][page needed]. Moreland, James Porter, and William Lane. Therefore, the universe has a cause. The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. According to Aquinas, an infinite regress of causes is _____. A Critical Examination of the Kalam Cosmological Argument. Professor Alexander Vilenkin, one of the three authors of the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem, writes: Victor J. Stenger has referred to the Aguirre-Gratton model[43] for eternal inflation as an exemplar by which others disagree with the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem. Follows the Logical Structure. A critical examination of the Kalam Cosmological Argument; External links Edit. One of the earliest formulations of the cosmological argument in Islamic tradition comes from Al-Ghazali, who writes: Between the 9th to 12th centuries, the cosmological argument developed as a concept within Islamic theology. ", Premise two: "The universe began to exist.". Craig’s Kalam Cosmological argument can be stated formally as follows: Premise 1: Whatever beings to exist has a cause. It was probably the most 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. Some have been around for centuries, and new arguments are popping up every day. It was probably the most popular argument in Islamic tradition, defended by Al … [citation needed], Craig maintains that the Kalam cosmological argument involves a commitment to the A-theory of time, also known as the "tensed theory of time" or presentism, as opposed to its alternative, the B-theory of time, also known as the "tenseless theory of time" or eternalism. It is named after the kalam On the topic of virtual particles, he writes: Cosmologist Alexander Vilenkin has stated that even "the absence of space, time and matter" cannot truly be defined as 'nothing' given that the laws of physics are still present, though it would be "as close to nothing as you can get".[39]. See also: al Ghazali, Kitab al lqtisad, with a foreword by Î. The latter would allow the universe to exist tenselessly as a four-dimensional space-time block, under which circumstances the universe would not "begin to exist":[53], Craig has defended the A-theory against objections from J. M. E. McTaggart and hybrid A–B theorists. The syllogism goes as follows: 1- Whatever begins to exist has a cause. In recent years, Christian philosopher William Lane Craig has brought the Kalam Cosmological Argument back into the spotlight. [7] Along with much of classical Greek philosophy, the concept was adopted into medieval Islamic tradition, where it received its fullest articulation at the hands of Muslim scholars, most directly by Islamic theologians of the Sunni tradition. Introduction. Therefore; 3) Universe has a cause of its existence. Gary Robertson disagrees the KCA invokes the fallacy of composition by applying the same principle of causality which applies to the universe’s constituent parts, to the universe as a whole. The Kalam Cosmological Argument is one of the variants of the argument which has been especially useful in defending the philosophical position of theistic worldviews. An alternative way to argue against the past eternity of the universe is through the impossibility of traversing (counting/crossing/completing) infinity. One such argument is the kalam cosmological argument. yet stronger version of the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of God. For this, he cites the example of a parent "creating" a child who eventually becomes greater than he or she. The original Kalam cosmological argument was developed by Islamic scholars in medieval times based on the Aristotelian “prime mover” idea. cannot exist. Its history can be traced back to the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Graham Oppy, J. L. Mackie and Wes Morriston have objected to the intuitiveness of the first premise. Its history can be traced back to the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Kalām cosmological argument (Persian: برهان الحدوث) or so called argument form temporality (Huduth) is a general term for the theologians' theoretical arguments for the existence of God.The main content of this argument is depended on the feature of temporality of the universe and existents. So if one would go back in time far enough, one would discover a first cause. The Kalam cosmological argument has received criticism from philosophers such as J. L. 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