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

question 3

Multiple Choice

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 asserts that by rejecting a supernatural first cause, one is not then committed to the proposition that

• A) the universe is uncaused.
• B) there is a natural first cause.
• C) the universe is a necessary being.
• D) All of the above

Identify and explain the key factors influencing personality development and traits.

Understand personality assessment methods and their applications.

Explain the role of genetic and environmental influences on personality.

Understand defense mechanisms and stages of psychosexual development.

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Definitions:

Wages

The fixed regular payment, typically calculated on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis, made by an employer to an employee.

Demand Increase

A situation where the quantity of a product or service sought by buyers rises due to factors like higher income, changes in taste, or population growth.

Certification Tests

Examinations that assess an individual's competencies in a particular field, often required to attain professional certification.

Plumbers

Professionals skilled in installing and repairing systems used for water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems.