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

question 9

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.
-According to Edwards, the idea of an infinite regress of causes implies that nothing exists.

---

Definitions:

Strategic Behavior

Actions taken by firms or individuals that consider the expected reactions of other participants and attempt to optimize their own position accordingly.

Excess Capacity

The situation where a firm is producing at a level less than its maximum potential output due to insufficient demand or deliberate strategic choices.

Advertising

The action of promoting products or services through various media channels to inform, persuade, and remind consumers, thereby influencing their purchasing decisions.

Product Differentiation

The act of distinguishing a product or service in the marketplace to make it more appealing to a designated target group.