PHIL 347 FINAL STUDY GUIDE
Omnipotence - Answers -- God can do anything that is intrinsically (non-contradictory)
possible for God to do
Omniscience - Answers -- God knows the future
- God is immutable, so foreknowledge is nonexistent
> *obj*: God would "change his mind" depending on what an agent chooses to do
The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) everything that begins to exist has a
*cause*
(2) the universe began to exist
> the number of past events is continuously augmented, so not infinite, so there is a
*beginning*
(3) so, the universe has a cause that is *distinct from itself*
Why is the cause from the cosmological personal? - Answers -(4) a cause is either
*mechanical* or *personal*
(5) mechanical entails order and laws of nature, which did NOT exist *before* the
universe
(6) the universe then must have a *distinct, personal* cause
(7) so, the universe has a cause that is *distinct from itself*
W.L. Craig on the Kalam Argument - Answers -- the Big Bang model predicts the
absolute beginning of the universe, which gives evidence for this argument
> further support f. Second Law of Thermodynamics
"Possibility" objections to Kalam - Answers -- *obj 1*: anything conceivable is possible,
x starting to exist w/o a cause included
- *obj 2*: anything that is non-contradictory is possible, x starting to exist w/o a cause
included
Counter-objection to Kalam "possibility" objection - Answers -- it is NOT evident that
conceivability or consistency imply possibility
Quantum objection to Kalam - Answers -- subatomic particles have been observed to
appear w/o observed causes in vacuums
> things can begin to exist w/o a cause
Quantum objection counter - Answers -- an absence of an observed cause is NOT the
same as absence of a *real cause*
Kraal's objections to Kalam - Answers -- "everything that begins to exist must has a
cause distinct f. itself" does NOT mean a creator, instead:
> multiple, simultaneous causes
, > a cause distinct f. *our universe*
> a cause not of "omni-nature"
The "First Cause" Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) there are *effects* in the
world
(2) every effect has a *preexisting, distinct* cause
(3) these causes and effects may form a *series*
(4) this series must *terminate* w/ an ultimate cause
(5) this ultimate cause is God, aka the *first* cause
Assumption with the First Cause Argument - Answers -- there is always a *complete
explanation,* meaning that x can be explained to the extent it provides a terminating
cause, for a given effect (PSR)
The "Sufficient Reason" Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) there are *contingent*
SoAs
(2) every *contingent* SoA depends on a prior SoAs
(3) these may form a *series* together
(4) this series must terminate w/ a *necessary* SoAs as it requires to a complete
answer to "why"
(5) there is *something* necessary -- GOD!
Objections to the PSR assumption - Answers -(1) the universe is just there (Russell)
(2) a brute fact that is contingent can be simply conceived of (Hume)
(3) implies that *every* contingency needs an explanation, which makes ALL facts
necessary (paradox)
Aquinas's Third Argument (Cosmological) - Answers -(1) there are contingent things
(2) every contingent thing at one time did NOT exist
(3) so, if all beings were contingent, then at one point there was *nothing*
(4) but, there is *something*
(5) so, NOT everything is a contingent being
(6) there is at least something *necessary*
(7) there is someone necessary, w/ at least *one* of the *divine attributes*
Objections to Aquinas's Third Way - Answers -(1) NOT evident that there could be NO
eternally existing contingencies
(2) possibility of infinite contingencies
(3) divinity does not entail necessity (e.g. math, we don't worship "25")
The Teleological Argument - Answers -(1) there are intricate, functional structures that
are often biological
(2) function means *intention*
(3) intention means *intender*
(4) intender means an *intelligent mind*
(5) God is this intelligent mind
Omnipotence - Answers -- God can do anything that is intrinsically (non-contradictory)
possible for God to do
Omniscience - Answers -- God knows the future
- God is immutable, so foreknowledge is nonexistent
> *obj*: God would "change his mind" depending on what an agent chooses to do
The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) everything that begins to exist has a
*cause*
(2) the universe began to exist
> the number of past events is continuously augmented, so not infinite, so there is a
*beginning*
(3) so, the universe has a cause that is *distinct from itself*
Why is the cause from the cosmological personal? - Answers -(4) a cause is either
*mechanical* or *personal*
(5) mechanical entails order and laws of nature, which did NOT exist *before* the
universe
(6) the universe then must have a *distinct, personal* cause
(7) so, the universe has a cause that is *distinct from itself*
W.L. Craig on the Kalam Argument - Answers -- the Big Bang model predicts the
absolute beginning of the universe, which gives evidence for this argument
> further support f. Second Law of Thermodynamics
"Possibility" objections to Kalam - Answers -- *obj 1*: anything conceivable is possible,
x starting to exist w/o a cause included
- *obj 2*: anything that is non-contradictory is possible, x starting to exist w/o a cause
included
Counter-objection to Kalam "possibility" objection - Answers -- it is NOT evident that
conceivability or consistency imply possibility
Quantum objection to Kalam - Answers -- subatomic particles have been observed to
appear w/o observed causes in vacuums
> things can begin to exist w/o a cause
Quantum objection counter - Answers -- an absence of an observed cause is NOT the
same as absence of a *real cause*
Kraal's objections to Kalam - Answers -- "everything that begins to exist must has a
cause distinct f. itself" does NOT mean a creator, instead:
> multiple, simultaneous causes
, > a cause distinct f. *our universe*
> a cause not of "omni-nature"
The "First Cause" Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) there are *effects* in the
world
(2) every effect has a *preexisting, distinct* cause
(3) these causes and effects may form a *series*
(4) this series must *terminate* w/ an ultimate cause
(5) this ultimate cause is God, aka the *first* cause
Assumption with the First Cause Argument - Answers -- there is always a *complete
explanation,* meaning that x can be explained to the extent it provides a terminating
cause, for a given effect (PSR)
The "Sufficient Reason" Cosmological Argument - Answers -(1) there are *contingent*
SoAs
(2) every *contingent* SoA depends on a prior SoAs
(3) these may form a *series* together
(4) this series must terminate w/ a *necessary* SoAs as it requires to a complete
answer to "why"
(5) there is *something* necessary -- GOD!
Objections to the PSR assumption - Answers -(1) the universe is just there (Russell)
(2) a brute fact that is contingent can be simply conceived of (Hume)
(3) implies that *every* contingency needs an explanation, which makes ALL facts
necessary (paradox)
Aquinas's Third Argument (Cosmological) - Answers -(1) there are contingent things
(2) every contingent thing at one time did NOT exist
(3) so, if all beings were contingent, then at one point there was *nothing*
(4) but, there is *something*
(5) so, NOT everything is a contingent being
(6) there is at least something *necessary*
(7) there is someone necessary, w/ at least *one* of the *divine attributes*
Objections to Aquinas's Third Way - Answers -(1) NOT evident that there could be NO
eternally existing contingencies
(2) possibility of infinite contingencies
(3) divinity does not entail necessity (e.g. math, we don't worship "25")
The Teleological Argument - Answers -(1) there are intricate, functional structures that
are often biological
(2) function means *intention*
(3) intention means *intender*
(4) intender means an *intelligent mind*
(5) God is this intelligent mind
