The Cosmological Arguments: A Spectrum of Opinion

Description

Since Plato, philosophers have been concerned with the cosmological arguments--those argument forms that take as their starting point some familiar aspect of the universe and go on to derive from it evidence for the existence of God. Aquinas, who gave clearest expression of the various paths such reasoning could follow, distinguished four: the arguments from motion, cause, contingency, and design. Separately or together, these have continued to fascinate philosophers and theologians--including many who are convinced that the conclusion is false--even in the face of modern scientific discoveries. In this volume, which presents a variety of philosophical positions from Plato to contemporary thinkers, the editor has chosen to treat the first three of Aquinas' forms together and devote a separate section to the teleological argument. Part I. The cosmological argument A. The classical view. Plato: Motion and change as a rational demonstration of God ; Aristotle: The necessary existence of a fist mover ; St. Thomas Aquinas: God demonstrated through his effects ; P.T. Geach's commentary on Aquinas B. The classical critique. David Hume's critique of the cosmological argument ; Immanuel Kant: The impossibilty of a cosmological proof for God's existence C. The contemporary rejoinder. Paul Edwards: The cosmological argument ; Alvin Plantinga: Necessary being Terence Penelhum: Divine necessity Part III. The teleological argument A. The classical view. William Paley: The attributes of deity from the appearances of nature ; David Hume: Cleanthes' argument from design ; John Stuart Mill: Marks of design in nature B. The classical critique. David Hume: Philo's objections to the argument from design ; Immunuel Kant: The impossibilty of the physico-theological proof C. The contemporary rejoinder. A.E. Taylor: Nature and teleology ; C.J. Ducasse: The argument from design ; C.D. Broad: Teleology, mechanism, and design Part III. A concluding contemporary postscript J.J.C. Smart: The existence of God ; Richard Taylor: Metaphysics and God ; Paul Tillich: The question of God.