In This Article Edwards Attacks the Cosmological Argument, Specifically Aquinas's

question 12

True/False

In this article Edwards attacks the cosmological argument, specifically Aquinas's causal and contingency versions, holding that the argument fails at several points. Against the causal argument, he argues that the premise asserting the impossibility of an infinite series is false. Even if the argument were sound, he says, it would not prove the existence of a single first cause because a plurality of causes cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, the argument is not helped by the theist's distinction between causes that bring something into existence (causes in fieri) and causes that sustain something in existence (causes in esse). Some defend the causal argument by insisting that even if there were an infinite series of causes, there still must be an ultimate cause of the series as a whole. Edwards counters that such notions rest on the "erroneous assumption that the series is something over and above the members of which it is composed." Against the contingency argument, Edwards maintains that to explain a contingent phenomenon, we do not need to posit a necessary being and that those who make such a demand beg the question at issue.
-Edwards says that even if the first-cause argument was sound, it would not prove the existence of God.

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Definitions:

Social Norms

Shared, unwritten rules that dictate the behavior of people in a society or group, influencing actions and attitudes.

Integrative Way

An approach aimed at problem-solving and negotiation that seeks mutually beneficial outcomes for all parties involved, focusing on common interests rather than opposing positions.

BATNA

Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement, the most advantageous alternative course of action a party can take if negotiations fail and an agreement cannot be reached.

Resistance Point

In negotiation, the least favorable point at which a party is willing to accept a deal, beyond which they prefer to walk away.