A First Cause

First Cause ◽

Causal Sequence

Causal finitismimplies that every causal sequence has at its root at least one uncaused cause. Together with a defensible (and defended) Causal Principle, this implies that there is a necessarily existing first cause. The argument is similar to the Kalām cosmological argument. The most prevalent theory as to what a necessarily existing first cause would be like is theism, and the rest of the chapter is spent discussing the coherence between causal finitism and theism, especially of a classical sort. For there is prima facie reason for the theist to be worried. It seems that God is moved by infinitely many reasons, knows infinitely many things, and seemingly can make use of this knowledge to produce effects in the world. Resolutions to the difficulties are offered, at times drawing upon classical theism’s doctrine of divine simplicity.

Kalam cosmological argument

Filozofija i drustvo ◽

10.2298/fid1101029d ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 29-51

Author(s):

Drago Djuric

Keyword(s):

Causal Chain ◽

The Other ◽

Cosmological Argument ◽

Islamic Theology ◽

Actual Infinity ◽

The World ◽

Theology And Philosophy ◽

The Universe

In this paper it will be presented polemics about kalam cosmological argument developed in medieval islamic theology and philosophy. Main moments of that polemics was presented for a centuries earlier in Philoponus criticism of Aristotle?s thesis that the world is eternal, and of impossibilty of actual infinity. Philoponus accepts the thesis that actual infinity is impossible, but he thinks that, exactly because of that, world cannot be eternal. Namely, according to Philoponus, something can?not come into being if its existence requires the preexistence of an infinite number of other things, one arising out of the other. Philoponus and his fellowers in medieval islamic theology (Al-Kindi and Al-Ghazali), called kalam theologians, have offered arguments against the conception of a temporally infinite universe, under?stood as a succesive causal chain. On other side, medieval islamic thinkers, called falasifah /philosophers/ or aristotelians (Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averro?s), have offered arguments in favor of Aristotele?s conception of the eternity of the universe. Decisive problem in disccusion between kalam i falsafa medieval muslim thinkers was the problem of infinity. They have offered very interesting arguments and counterarguments about concept of infinity. In this paper it will be presented some of the crucial moments of that arguments.

TheoLogica An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology ◽

A Reply to Wielenberg on a Timeless First Cause

10.14428/thl.v5i1.60693 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

William L. Craig

Keyword(s):

Cosmological Argument ◽

First Cause ◽

The Moment

Erik Wielenberg seeks to advance his critique of the kalām cosmological argument by putting forward three further criticisms of the view that God is temporal since the moment of creation. It is seen that these criticisms are misconceived and do not take cognizance of what I have written elsewhere.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

10.1093/oso/9780190842215.003.0024 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

William Lane Craig

Keyword(s):

Space Time ◽

Cosmological Argument ◽

Philosophical Literature ◽

The Past ◽

Classical Space ◽

The Universe

A survey of recent philosophical literature on the kalam cosmological argument reveals that arguments for the finitude of the past and, hence, the beginning of the universe remain robust. Plantinga’s brief criticisms of Kant’s argument in his First Antinomy concerning time are shown not to be problematic for the kalam argument. This chapter addresses, one by one, the two premises of the kalam, focusing on their philosophical aspects. The notion of infinity, both actual and potential, is discussed in relation to the coming into being of the universe. In addition, the scientific aspects of the two premises are also, briefly, addressed. Among these are the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem, which proves that classical space-time cannot be extended to past infinity but must reach a boundary at some time in the finite past. This, among other factors, lends credence to the kalam argument’s second premise.

A Bayesian formulation of the kalam cosmological argument

Religious Studies ◽

10.1017/s0034412514000171 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 521-534

Author(s):

CALUM MILLER

Keyword(s):

Probabilistic Reasoning ◽

Natural Theology ◽

Cosmological Argument ◽

Bayesian Formulation ◽

Kalām Cosmological Argument

AbstractThere has been a trend within natural theology to present arguments for theism deductively, such that at least one of the premises is likely to be extremely controversial. For those arguments with less controversial premises, the conclusion is usually something short of theism. On these grounds, some have employed probabilistic reasoning to revive classical arguments – to use less controversial premises in achieving a conclusion directly relevant to whether theism is true or not. Here, I formulate the kalam cosmological argument in Bayesian terms, and argue that doing so renders many objections levelled against it obsolete.