Criticisms of The Cosmological Argument
Religious Studies: KS3, topic 2.6.7
Criticisms of The Cosmological Argument
Aquinas argued that the cosmological argument proves the existence of God. But not all philosophers agree with Aquinas and have criticised the cosmological argument.
Mistake in thinking
- Some philosophers argue that there is a clear mistake in thinking in the cosmological argument.
- If we accept that everything needs to be caused, why do we then decide not to apply that to God?
- If God doesn’t need to be caused then it is not true that everything needs to be caused.
- So the argument is based on an error of thinking. An error of thinking is sometimes called a ‘fallacy’.
Fallacy of composition
- The second criticism is that the cosmological argument contains a 'fallacy of composition'.
- The cosmological argument says that everything around us seems contingent.
- Contingent means everything is dependent on something else to explain its cause.
- So, we cannot have an oak tree without an acorn.
- This may be true, but that does not mean that the whole universe needs to be explained in this way.
Fallacy of composition (cont.)
- To say the whole universe needs to have a cause is to commit a ‘fallacy of composition’.
- This means we have taken what is true for one part of the universe (e.g. an acorn and an oak tree) and assumed it is true for the universe as a whole!
- It may be a better explanation to say that the universe is different. The universe just exists and has always existed, and there is no need to look for any cause.
What kind of God is the First Cause?
- Finally, we can also use a criticism we saw in the design argument.
- If we accept the cosmological argument proves the need for a First Cause, this does not prove the God of Christianity. Or the God of any other religion!
- Something very powerful may have kick-started everything, and then left the universe to grow and change without any further involvement.
- Therefore, the First Cause may not be God!
Summary of the criticisms
- It is important to remember that some philosophers do not say these objections disprove the cosmological argument.
- Some philosophers say that it is reasonable for people to ask why we, and the whole universe, exist at all.
- This is a question almost everyone asks at some point – why anything exists!
Test yourself on Criticisms of The Cosmological Argument
What word describes a philosophical error in thinking?
What does 'contingent' mean?
Why does the cosmological argument not prove the God of Christianity?