Cosmological arguments
Introduction
This collection of arguments elaborate reasons why the universe exists, thus, everything in existence requires an explanation. These arguments explain the evidence for why God created the world. The Cosmological argument provides for a two-stage explanation; first being; there must be a cause which provides for two arguments: beginning argument and modal argument. The second is, if there is a cause, then it is God. The cosmological argument is in various forms, which include;
Kalam cosmological argument.
This argument elaborates that the universe had a beginning point at some time in the past thus there is a transcendent cause that made the universe. It explains that everything in existence has a justification (Copan, 2017). The world began to exist, and the mainspring is God. Since God is eternal, he has no beginning. This argument explains that everything that has a genesis of its existence has a cause of its existence, and the universe has an origin thus; it has a cause of its being. If the world has a cause to exist, then that cause is God; therefore God exists.
Thomist cosmological argument
This argument was named after the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas. It explains that every finite thing is made up of essence and existence thus it is contingent. The argument is based on three bases i.e. motion, causes and contingency. These things that are in motion, require something else to move or create them. This chain of contingency can’t go back forever; thus there must be an uncreated being called God. According to Aquinas, cause and effect are real. By motion, causes and contingency we experience cause and effect all the time. David Hume disapproves the cause and effect by claiming that cause and effect is invalid and could be an illusion. Everything that exists contingently has a cause for its existence. The universe exists contingently. The world has a reason for its existence, thus if the universe has a reason for its existence then that reason is God (Holder, 2017).
Leibniz’s cosmological argument
Germany polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz sought to explain why there is something rather than nothing. Leibniz uses the principle of sufficient reason ( Scott, 2016). There must be a reason for why the universe is the way it is; thus any continent fact must have an elaborate explanation. If nothing existed in the universe there would be no explanation why these things exist.
Conclusion.
Everything that exists has a cause. The universe exists and it has a cause. The necessary reason for being must be God. The modal cosmological argument is consistent with the idea that the universe has an infinite past. The kalam cosmological argument explains that the universe had a beginning at one time. From contingency, it is consistent with the world existing from eternity.
References.
Copan, P., & Craig, W. L. (Eds.). (2017). The Kalam Cosmological Argument, Volume 1: Philosophical Arguments for the Finitude of the Past. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Holder, R. D. (2017). God, the multiverse, and everything: Modern Cosmology and the argument from design. Routledge.
Scott, C. (2016). The frontiers of empirical science: A Thomist-inspired critique of scientism. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 72(3).