The structure of the premises for this argument are: The mathematical impossibility of forming an actual infinite by successive addition. D 65, 083507. The Kalam cosmological argument fails as a proof of the existence of God. Steady-state eternal inflation; Phys. Craig formulates thekalām cosmological argument this way (in Craig and Smith1993: chap. This is the formulation of the argument which I understand you to be using: 1. Morriston W (2002). : 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", "Dr. Craig Answers Questions on the Kalam, Heaven, Free Will, B-Theory, and MORE! 3. A second type of cosmological argument, contending for a first orbeginning cause of the universe, has a venerable history, especiallyin the Islamic mutakalliman tradition. The second premise follows also from A Theory along with the nature of infinity being endless. The universe began to exist. 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.[50]. 90–91, Quentin Smith, "Kalam Cosmological Arguments for Atheism", in Michael Martin (ed. [44] In private correspondence with Stenger, Vilenkin remarked how the Aguirre-Gratton model attempts to evade a beginning by reversing the "arrow of time" at t = 0, but that: "This makes the moment t = 0 rather special. A classic which has recently been re-polished and re-popularized, it has withstood the test of time in its field. David Hume to John Stewart, February 1754, in The Letters of David Hume, 2 vols., ed. [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], Referring to the implications of Classical Theism that follow from this argument, Craig writes:[6]. Quantum mechanics does not in fact posit something coming from nothing, but rather things coming from the quantum vacuum–which is not “nothing.” The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. The universe is not an entity in itself. Victor J. Stenger. It is named after the kalam (medieval Islamic scholasticism) from which its key ideas originated. 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]. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The second of these premises requires some more explanation. 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). [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 Kalam Cosmological Argument leads us to the conclusion that the universe does, indeed, have a cause. Furthermore, Since the cause of the universe must exist outside time, space, and all material, the cause must be spaceless, timeless, and non-material; i.e. 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. One thought on “ How to Debunk The Kalam Cosmological Argument ” Jonathan MS Pearce. [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. [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. 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. [58], 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. J. T. Grieg (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932), 1, 187. "[46], On the impossibility of actual infinities, Craig asserts:[47]. 15–16. Come … Honestly, I do find the Kalam argument (KCA) powerful, but of course I first encountered it from the perspective of a believer. It was refined in the 11th century by Al-Ghazali (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), and in the 12th by Ibn Rushd (Averroes). It’s details the many criticisms of the argument, all in one place: Must the Beginning of the Universe Have a Personal Cause? Lahore: Pakistan Philosophical Congress, 1963 pp. Moreland, James Porter, and William Lane. "Inflationary space-times are incomplete in past directions". 141–172. Philosopher Michael Martin has also referred to quantum vacuum fluctuation models to support the idea of a universe with uncaused beginnings. 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. Rests on the idea that universe has a beginning in time. One such argument is the kalam cosmological argument. November 10, 2016 at 11:13 am Reply. If you are also anything like me this has you thinking about philosophy, apologetics, and the Kalam Cosmological Argument. 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). The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Smith, Q (1988), "The Uncaused Beginning of the Universe," Philosophy of Science 55:39-57. Is there an alternative to this argument? According to this argument, if x began, then it can only mean that x was caused. I Donât Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek. Anscombe, '"Whatever has a beginning of existence must have a cause": Hume's argument exposed', Analysis XXXIV (1974), 150. This premise seems intuitively obvious. A. Çubukçu and H. Atay (Ankara: University of Ankara Press, 1962), pp. The Kalam Cosmological Argument Meets The Mentaculus Dan Linford Abstract According to the orthodox interpretation of bounce cosmologies, the universe was born from an entropy reducing phase in a previous universe. [56] Balashov claims:[57], Craig has criticised Balashov for adopting a verificationist methodology that fails to address the metaphysical and theological foundations of the A-theory. Answer: This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the claim. The Kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Faith and Philosophy, 17:149. (2) Conclusions regarding existence can only flow from premises based on direct human experience of existing entities. Therefore, the universe cannot be infinitely old. 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. Likewise, as the universe began, then it must also have been caused. 2. Everything that begins to exist has a cause of itsexistence. I find this argument kind of fascinating. Philosophical foundations for a Christian worldview. If A Theory is correct, all past moments would have to occur before the present, which would vindicate the first premise. ", Premise two: "The universe began to exist.". 2. Is God the unmoved mover of Aristotleâs teachings. 1): 1. The Kalam Cosmological Argument, which was developed from Moorish Spain, employs logical reasoning in asserting the existence of God. Cosmological argument, Form of argument used in natural theology to prove the existence of God. See also: al Ghazali, Kitab al lqtisad, with a foreword by Î. 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. Today this argument, largely forgotten since the time of Kant, is once again back at center stage. Averroes, Ibn Rushd, The Incoherence of the Incoherence (Tahafut al-Tahafut) London:Luzac, 1954, pp. supernatural. paper is concerned with the Kalam Cosmological Argument, which aims to demonstrate that the universe was created ex nihilo by a personal creator. According to the kalam, there can be only one itself-uncaused-and-eternal thing that causes all other things, and that first cause is God. Scientific evidence that the universe began to exist a finite time ago at the Big Bang. 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. 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. An infinite amount of time can never truly pass (because infinite time would never run out). The main content of this argument is depended on the feature of temporality of the universe and existents. Graham Oppy, J. L. Mackie and Wes Morriston have objected to the intuitiveness of the first premise. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 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. In case you’re interested, I have a new book out debunking the KCA. Is there a conclusive argument for the existence of God? An alternative way to argue against the past eternity of the universe is through the impossibility of traversing (counting/crossing/completing) infinity. 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, This page was last edited on 14 January 2021, at 10:54. G.E.M. 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 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. It was popularized in the western world by William Lane Craig in his book, The Kalām Cosmological Argument (1979). A. Borde, A. Guth and A. Vilenkin (2003). "The Caused Beginning of the Universe: a Response to Quentin Smith." British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 44 (1993): 623-639. Graham Smith, “Arguing about the Kalam Cosmological Argument,” Philo, 5(1), 2002: 34–61. A Critical Examination of the Kalam Cosmological Argument. My response in the video includes more detail. If you aren’t familiar with the KCA, here is a version of it: Everything that begins to exist has a transcendent cause of its existence. Hey guys, I'm an atheist and I've recently been looking more in-depth at some arguments for God's existence to challenge myself :) I was already familiar with the Kalam (popularized by William Lane Craig), but I hadn't read that much about it. What is the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of God? Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity P. 469. Although it hadnumerous defenders through the centuries, it received new life in therecent voluminous writings of William Lane Craig. 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]. [26] This argument has been criticised by Bruce Reichenbach and G.E.M. (2007) Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes, p.175, Aguirre A and Gratton S (2002). 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":[54] The form of the Kalam he presents rests on this theory: Craig has defended the A-theory against objections from J. M. E. McTaggart and hybrid A–B theorists. 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. He concludes that subatomic physics is not a proven exception to the first premise.[34]. 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. Moreover, a primary metaphysical principle states, “out of nothing, nothing comes.” Consider the fact that if something could come from absolutely nothing, then anything … 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. According to Craig, the Kalam Cosmological Argument is constructed as follows: Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. Cosmological Argument - Kalam Argument. To defend the thesis that the whole of physical reality was caused to exist a finite time ago, William Lane Prometheus Books, 2012. 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. The word “ kalam ” is an Arabic word that denotes medieval Islamic theology. It was popularized in the western world by William Lane Craig in his book, The Kalām Cosmological Argument (1979). 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. I would say no less special than a true beginning of the universe. 5 It is important to note, however, that the KCA is not intrinsically predicated on any one religion, nor is it restricted to monotheism. Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence. Craig defends premise two using both physical arguments with evidence from cosmology and physics, and metaphysical arguments for the impossibility of actual infinities in reality. "[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]. In a critique of Craig's book The Kalam Cosmological Argument, published in 1979, Michael Martin states:[51], 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. The term kalam is Arabic and means “eternal.” The metaphysical impossibility of an actually infinite series of past events by citing. Scientific confirmation against a past-infinite universe in the form of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
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