The kalam cosmological argument meets the mentaculus danlinford abstract. Craig has united to the traditional philosophical reflections the recent developments of mathematics and physical science, both lead to con. However theologians have a long history of trying to do so and craig spends a lot his energy trying to provide scientific and mathematical support for the socalled kalam cosmological argument. A defense of the kalam cosmological argument and the b.
The kalam cosmological argument, volume 1 ebook by. Pdf kalam cosmological argument and the modern science. Is the kalam cosmological argument a sound proof for god. Craig and coauthor james sinclair have argued the low entropy interface between universes should instead be understood as the beginning of two universes. Two recent scientific discoveries have yielded plausible prima facie physical evidence for the beginning of the universe. On the kalam cosmological argument common sense atheism. Metcalfe abstract william lane craig is the most recognizable contemporary defender of the kalam cosmological argument. It is then argued that the cause of those things existence had to be a godtype thing. In his book, craig argues that since the universe began to exist, the efficient cause of the universes existence must have been god. What does it mean to say that x begins to exist at t. Pdf we present a formal analysis of the revised version of the kalam cosmo logical argument advocated by w.
I aim to defend of version of the kalam cosmological argument that. William lane craig has refined it to make it the cornerstone of his argument for the existence of the god of christianity. Mackies analysis of the kalam cosmological argument in the miracle of theism oxford university press, oxford, 1982 is superficial, and that mackie has failed to provide any compelling or even intuitively appealing. If just one of these objections are true, the cosmological argument collapses. Everything that begins to exist has a cause the cause of. Problems with the cosmological argument a man after god. For more than thirty years, william lane craig has vigorously championed the kalam cosmological argument. Craig, mackie, and the kalam cosmological argument. Philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past.
The cosmological argument is, a family of arguments that seek to demonstrate the existence of a sufficient reason or first cause of the existence of the cosmos. William lane craig has offered and defended various accounts that seek to establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for when something begins to exist. There are many more problems with the cosmological argument, but i think this will suffice. Craig provides a broad assessment of the argument in lieu of recent developments in philosophy, mathematics, science and theology.
A refutation of the kalam cosmological argument for god. The medieval scholastics adhered to aristotles analysis of the impossibility of an actual infinite, and the postrenaissance thinkers, even. In professor mackie and the kalam cosmological argument religious studies, xx 1984, 36775, professor william lane craig undertakes to demonstrate that j. Kalam cosmological argument research papers academia.
The kalam cosmological argument is constructed as follows. What we call today the kalam cosmological argument, was first made by aristotle and then by islamic scholars in the 9th century. Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. Mackie advances do serve to refute the kalam cosmological argument. According to craig, the kalam cosmological argument is constructed as follows. Craig and kalam cosmological argument directory of open. If, however, you find it helpful i do to come to terms with some of the background of how the argument came to be developed, i highly recommend it. The kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of god. They defend the kalam cosmological argument for theism craig and sinclair.
Several new cosmological arguments have been developed recently, notably those by. As a boy i wondered at the existence of the universe. The argument is fairly straightforward and enjoys intuitive support. View kalam cosmological argument research papers on academia.
With todays knowledge, we may think this is a given, but we should. The ancient kalam cosmological argument maintains that the series of past events is finite and that therefore the universe began to exist. William lane craig, an evangelical protestant philosopher who dedicated his doctoral work to. Craig s 2015 lecture at the university of birmingham, where he did his doctoral studies which led to the revival of the kalam cosmological argument in our day. Mackie and quentin smith, and has been used in christian apologetics. The sources used in this presentation are documented according to current modern language association standards. The kalam argument popular writings reasonable faith. Or is the material universe all that is, or ever was, or ever will be. The first section can be skipped it you are just looking for a quick understanding of craigs reasons for accepting the kalam argument. Yet, under what conditions does something begin to exist. It was popularized by william lane craig in his book, the kalam cosmological argument 1979 the argument s key underpinning idea is the metaphysical impossibility of actual infinities and of. The kalam cosmological argument deploys the following causal principle.
Mackies analysis of the kalam cosmological argument. The original kalam cosmological argument was developed by islamic scholars in medieval times based on the aristotelian prime mover idea. A defense of the kalam cosmological argument and the btheory of time curtis j. The kalam cosmological argument meets the mentaculus. Consult the cited works of craig for a more thorough statement and defense of the argument. The aim of this work is not, however, to show that the kca is. This paper examines the kalam cosmological argument, as put forward by william craig. The argument, in its simplest form, is that i whatever begins to. Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. The cosmological argument derives its title from observing the world around us the cosmos. W e discuss both premises of the argument in the light of modern logi cal, semantic and cosmological insights and conclude that. A critical assessment of contemporary cosmological. Smiths most recent criticism of the kalam cosmological argument is also a denial of the.
This argument depends crucially on the idea that the universe had a beginning in time and essentially has the following logical structure. The temporal finiteness of the universe is based upon philosophical arguments for the presumed impossibility of an actual infinity of past events and is. The second of these premises requires some more explanation. Craig claims that the universe began to exist, then he continues to say. William lane craig advances an argument for the existence of god in the kalam cosmological argument london. The kalam cosmological argument has grown in popularity today, mostly through the work of dr. Among different arguments for the existence of god the kalam cosmological argument is a very famous one which is elaborated by professor william lane craig.
New remarks on the cosmological argument gustavo e. The kalam cosmological argument essay 1100 words cram. What follows is a short presentation of the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of god. The onotological argument, another favorite of classical apologists, is at its core, based on the cosmological argument, so that if the cosmological argument collapses, so. Huduth argument in contemporary western philosophy known as kalam cosmological argument is an argument for the existence of god which rests on the idea that the universe has a beginning in time. In this paper i present objections to the kalam cosmological argument kca, a modernized formulation of the general class of cosmological arguments for the existence of god. Objections to the kalam cosmological argument draper raises several objections to craig and morelands kalam argument. William lane craigs defence of kalam cosmological arguments has generated a large amount of discussion in the years since the publication of his book on that topic. Craig was even more explicit in essay v of theism, atheism, and big bang cosmology, at 157. Craig explains and evaluates, and later defends, ghazalis cosmological argument. Craigs 2015 lecture at the university of birmingham, where he did his doctoral studies which led to the revival of the kalam cosmological argument in our day. I note that there is no contradiction involved in these things.
Of the many ongoing debates to answer this question, william craig examines one of the most controversial proofs for the existence of god. John mackie, quentin smith, adolf grunbaum and i are just some of the philosophers. Craig infers the existence of a personal god from the supposedly finite past of the universe. Specifically, i focus on the philosopher william lane craigs defense of the argument given in his academic writings, public debates, and online articles. But as i have defined it in essay i which is an abridgment of his kalam cosmological argument, divine creatio ex nihilo is grounded in revelation and philosophical argument, and the scientific evidence merely serves as empirical confirmation of that. The kalam cosmological argument by william lane craig. How to debunk the kalam cosmological argument debating.
Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence. Craig, mackie, and the kalam cosmological argument in professor mackie and the kalam cosmological argument religious studies, xx 1984, 36775, professor william lane craig undertakes to demonstrate that j. William lane craig perhaps, the most well known proponent of the kalam cosmological argument gives a presentation on the philosophical the impossibility of an actual infinite number of things. Craig, the kalam cosmological argument, the macmillan press ltd, 1979, p. Craig provides a broad assessment of the argument in lieu of recent developments in philosophy, mathematics, science and. The expansion of the universe points to its beginningto a big bangas one retraces the universes expansion in time.
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