Explain the Strengths and Weaknesses of Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument

a) Explain the volumes and weaknesses of doubting Thomas cosmological product lines. The cosmological argument is an a posteriori argument based on the question of the relation of the foundations beingness and immortals creation of discourse. This argument focuses on the guess that if the globe exists then several(prenominal)thing must(prenominal) cast off motherd it to existence, ie. A perfection or Creator. Supporters of this argument claim that to fully comprehend the existence of the universe, one must rely on a scheme of a divinity fudge even so critics would say that due to the inability to prove Gods existence way that the universe endnot be fully explained.Many who dont behave the cosmological believe there doesnt necessarily need to be an explanation for the universes existence as it simply exists. somewhat strengths of the cosmological argument is that it gives an explanation and reason for the universe as even up to thinking everything just exists b e slip it does. People may find comfort in the cosmological argument and believing that a God created the universe as it gives the impression that everything in the universe has a specific purpose preferably of just being random. some other strength is due to the argument being an a posteriori argument and it being from everyday welcome of the universe. In other word of honors, our experience of the universe aids our understanding that certain aspects of the universe have specific purposes and exist for specific reasons which gives strong gage for this argument. The channelise that the argument in any case helps develop an understanding of popular questions helps it to be a strong theory. A question such as Why is there a universe? can be answered with the cosmological argument as believing that God created the universe provides an answer. The cerebrations on cause and upshot, cause and diverseness and contingency argon clear and easy to follow making it comprehendible and easy to support. For galore(postnominal) people, the idea that God is the cause of the universe is straightforward and no much explanation is required. doubting Thomas put forward three questions to answer the inquires about Gods existence whilst forming the cosmological argument.There were five proofs which he came up with but his three ways are commonly used as the cosmological argument for the existence of God. The scratch line way is bm, the second is actor and the terzetto way is the idea that God as a demand being. The original way which doubting Thomas provided was very focused on the fact that the universe constantly changes and experiences motion which he went on the relate to the change being caused by an original Creator or God. He believed that we can observe that things in the world are always in motion or changing and is changing from a potential state to an effective state.A chain of events causes things to change from one state to another through the b ear on of motion but the chain of movers cannot continue the process of change and motion forever as then there would be no first mover (I. e. God) and then there would be no other movers. doubting Thomas emphasised that the first mover was not put into motion by anyone else and is essenti ally God. This makes the cosmological argument a strong argument to support as helps explain the reason why the universe is constantly changing. doubting Thomas produced the second way of causation also known as the send-off Cause Argument.This argument concentrated on the fact that cause and effect existed in the world. Aquinas stressed that all events that happened had a cause and must either be infinite or have its starting point in a first cause. Aquinas couldnt believe in an endless chain of causes and effects and accordingly assumed there had to be some first cause, which was God. Aquinas act this argument to say that goose egg can be a cause of itself. This is a large strength of Aquina s cosmological argument as things cannot simply bring themselves into existence so the explanation of a first cause is extremely logical.Aquinas theory of a first cause gives way for God being called the first uncaused cause as he came to existence unlike anything else. The third way of Aquinas cosmological argument is about the idea that God is a necessary being. This argument states that because everything in the universe is contingent and pendent on something else for its existence, the universes explanation leads back to something non-contingent. Everything in the universe is dependant on something else which means that once there was a time when vigor existed. This means that the being which created the niverse must have been external to it and also must be a necessary being, aka, must have always existed. Aquinas continued to argue that this necessary being is God and that if God didnt exist, nothing else would. This logically explains the existence of the universe without i t being contradictory of Gods existence, making the argument strong. However, Aquinas cosmological argument did receive some criticisms from David Hume. Hume put forward several responses to the cosmological idea, provided an alternative argument to Aquinas beliefs.Hume believed that the idea of the necessary being was incoherent and illogical. Also, he questioned the relation amid causes and effects and that every event has a cause. His response to this is that the argument provided no proof for events having causes and as humans, we never actually experience causation therefore providing an argument against the first and second way which Aquinas produced. Hume also criticised the idea of the first cause as he implied it was too confusing to follow.The word cause itself creates confusion as the first cause doesnt have anything to do with the actual cause which we understand. There is a contradiction as the world cause implies a finite thing whereas a God would be infinite. Hume po inted out that calling God a cause make him seem like he belonged with all the other finite beings. Another one of Humes arguments against Aquinas idea of a first cause was his criticism that there is no proof saying there should be only one first cause or that that first cause was the Christian God.The uncaused cause that Aquinas described is a for the most part different character to the Christian God and Aquinas doesnt put of any qualities which God is supposed to behold. Hume labelled this idea illogical as the God Aquinas described was a being out of touch perception and indifferent to the universe he apparently caused. Hume questioned the necessity of claiming the whole universe has a cause just because it can be explained by a chain of causes. Hume argued that you cannot claim the universe has a cause just because all things in the universe supposedly has a cause.He also claimed that since the universe is beyond our experience, how can we know that the universe has a first cause? Aquinas believed that the universe could not have just come into existence even Humes argument implied that there is nothing saying that this is not class and now science can efficiently explain that the universe may have just come into existence randomly. This argument successfully defeats Aquinas view about a first cause causing the universe to exist.