Oppy challenges craig on every step of the kalam, but im going to focus upon one. The anthropic principle or the associated anthropic coincidences have been used by philosophers such as john leslie 1989, william lane craig 1988 and richard swinburne 1990 to support the thesis that god exists. Sep 09, 2012 what we call today the kalam cosmological argument, was first made by aristotle and then by islamic scholars in the 9th century. The anthropic coincidences, evil and the disconfirmation of theism 1992 by quentin smith.
Most of what follows comes from craigs defense of the argument, though i will use my own words. William lane craigs kalam cosmological argument kca requires that an a theory of time is correct. The kalam cosmological argument william lane craig talbot school of theology, usa and james sinclair warfare analyst, usa 2. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Craigs 2015 lecture at the university of birmingham, where he did his doctoral studies which led to the revival of the kalam cosmological argument. For an updated reflection on the kalam argument in relation to the design argument, see william lane craig, design and the cosmological argument, in william dembski, ed. Today this argument, largely forgotten since the time of. Craig provides a broad assessment of the argument in lieu of recent developments in. This page serves as an underconstruction bibliography of academic books, chapters, and journal articles. This argument depends crucially on the idea that the universe had a beginning in time and essentially has the following logical structure. The book is a broadside against not only the traditional arguments for gods existence, such as the onto, cosmo, and teleological. William lane craig, born in 1949 in peoria, illinois, is an american christian apologist, philosopher, and theologian. In professor mackie and the kalam cosmological argument, 36775, professor william lane craig undertakes to demonstrate that j.
Eternity and time in william lane craigs kalam cosmological argument. This paper examines the kalam cosmological argument, as put forward by william craig. On the kalam cosmological argument common sense atheism. It features heavily in many of craig s debates, books, and articles. The kalam cosmological argument, volume 1 by paul copan. John taylor complains that the kalam cosmological argument gives the appearance of being a swift and simple demonstration of the existence of a creator of the universe, whereas in fact a convincing argument involving the premiss that the universe began to exist is very difficult to achieve. If the argument stopped there, well alls well that ends well. Physics and math but i really desire to defend the kalam cosmological argument but i do. The kalam cosmological argument objections dark matters. Philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past. The kalam argument is lined up in three simple statements that go as follows.
Second that the universe began to exist and third, that therefore, the. Eternity and time in william lane craigs kalam cosmological. Mackies analysis of the kalam cosmological argument in the miracle of theism is superficial, and that mackie has failed to provide any compelling or even intuitively appealing objection against. How to defend the kalam cosmological argument just like.
The temporal finiteness of the universe is based upon philosophical arguments for the presumed impossibility of an actual infinity of past events and is. Click download or read online button to get the cosmological arguments book now. Argument more recently advocated by william lane craig. One approach to answering this question is the cosmological argument. What we call today the kalam cosmological argument, was first made by aristotle and then by islamic scholars in the 9th century.
Summary of william lane craigs kalam cosmological argument. An essential property of a being that exists by a necessity of its own nature is that it be eternal, that is. Not all atheists are as capable of blind, willful ignorance as dawkins. Of the many ongoing debates to answer this question, william craig examines one of the most controversial proofs for the existence of god. For an analysis see craig, william lane, the finitude of the past, aletheia ii 1981, 235 42. I christened the argument the kalam cosmological argument kalam is the arabic word for medieval theology.
The kalam cosmological argument as oft stated by theists, most notably william lane craig, is as follows. Mar 20, 2014 kalam cosmological argument william lane craig types of infinite. He received a bachelor of arts in communications from the evangelical protestant wheaton college in wheaton, illinois, a summa cum laude master of divinity from trinity evangelical divinity school in deerfield, illinois, a ph. In this specific chapter, he discusses the kalam cosmological argument with william lane craig. Introduction like david humes dialogues concerning natural religion, j.
The kalam cosmological argument has grown in popularity today, mostly through the work of dr. In defense of the kalam cosmological argument william lane craig. Sep 27, 2010 william lane craigs kalam cosmological argument kca requires that an a theory of time is correct. On a btheory of time, the universe does not in fact come into being or become actual at the big bang.
In his book, craig argues that since the universe began to exist, the efficient cause of the universes existence must have been god. It is then argued that the cause of those things existence had to be a godtype thing. Cosmological argument stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The cosmological argument is less a particular argument than an argument type. In chapter five of the case for a creator lee strobel continues in his research. However theologians have a long history of trying to do so and craig spends a lot his energy trying to provide scientific and mathematical support for the socalled kalam cosmological argument. Neither grunbaum nor oppy succeeds in showing an incoherence in the christian doctrine of creation. William lane craig has revived interest in the medieval kalam argument to the point where it is now one of the most discussed arguments for gods existence in the secondary literature. In recent years, christian philosopher william lane craig has brought the kalam cosmological argument back into the spotlight. William lane craig, an evangelical protestant philosopher who dedicated his doctoral work to the argument in 1979.
Defending the cosmological argument by william lane craig. Most people know the argument only its thomistic or leibnizian form, but a lesserknown arabic version of it has received recent attention from scholars since the 1979 publication of the kalam cosmological argument by philosopher william lane craig. These questions are taken up by the medievalthough recentlyrevived kalam cosmological argument, which has. The argument holds three premises that are as follows. We present a formal analysis of the cosmological argument in its two main forms. Eternity and time in william lane craigs kalam cosmological argument james still. Professor mackie and the kalam cosmological argument. The kalam cosmological argument by william lane craig and. This anthology on the philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past asks. Kalam cosmological argument william lane craig types of infinite. It features heavily in many of craigs debates, books, and articles.
The kalam cosmological argument plantinga conference. Previous post free speech activist ezra levant interviewed about his new book next post how to defend the finetuning argument just like william lane craig. Graham oppys attempt to show that the critiques of the kalam cosmological argument offered by grunbaum, davies, and hawking are successful is predicated upon a misunderstanding of the nature of defeaters in rational belief. Craig s 2015 lecture at the university of birmingham, where he did his doctoral studies which led to the revival of the kalam cosmological argument in our day. Is the kalam cosmological argument a sound proof for god. But it is precisely the aim of the kalam cosmological argument to show that the universe is not. Or is the material universe all that is, or ever was, or ever will be. William lane craig has refined it to make it the cornerstone of his argument for the existence of the god of christianity. Philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past bloomsbury studies in philosophy of religion 97815030797.
Trent dougherty, the conference organizer, decided to include the kalam argument as one of the unnamed other arguments and invited dr craig to lecture on it at the conference. Before i get into the details of the fallacies it should be noted that the many theists will attempt to use the bvg thereom to give credit to their conclusions of this argument. Cosmological argument kalam argument according to craig, the kalam cosmological argument is constructed as follows. Cosmological arguments for the existence of god, part 3. The distinctive feature of kalamstyle cosmology is its stress on the. It uses a general pattern of argumentation logos that makes an inference from particular alleged facts about the universe cosmos to the existence of a unique being, generally identified with or referred to as god.
When we understand this we can show there is no real contradiction with the existence of an actual infinite and so the kalam cosmological argument breaks down. The cosmological arguments download ebook pdf, epub. Whatever begins to exist, has a cause of its existence. I note that there is no contradiction involved in these things. In this paper i present objections to the kalam cosmological argument kca, a modernized formulation of the general class of cosmological arguments for the existence of god. Mackies analysis of the kalam cosmological argument in the miracle of theism oxford university press, oxford, 1982 is superficial, and that mackie has failed to provide any compelling or even intuitively appealing. For those of higher learning, this is a book that will explain how the philosophers from plato to leibniz speak of the cosmological argument even when the early philosophers were not even intending to prove theism. William lane craig, the kalam cosmological argument, the macmillan press ltd, 1979, p.
It was popularized by william lane craig in his book, the kalam cosmological argument 1979 the argument s key underpinning idea is the metaphysical impossibility of actual infinities and of. I just want to say that i am thus far, and ignorant theist who is illiterate in the areas of physics and math but i really desire to defend the kalam cosmological argument but i do not know where to start. Pdf craig, mackie, and the kalam cosmological argument. The clocks were functioning, thus someone must have set them in motion, even if their winding had been designed to last a long time. A defense for the tenability of the kalam cosmological. The traditional form of the kalam cosmological argument is craig 1991. Moreover, the leibnizian argument is reinforced by the support which the kalam cosmological argument adds to premises 1 and 2. Exploring gods relationship to time by william lane craig.
Dec 28, 2011 logically complete cosmological concept. As one who has little training in philosophy and the cosmological argument, i found this book extremely helpful. Pdf kalam cosmological argument and the modern science. William lane craig advances an argument for the existence of god in the kalam cosmological argument london. A swift and simple refutation of the kalam cosmological argument. Philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past bloomsbury studies in philosophy of religion. Graham oppys recent book arguing about gods has a thoughtful, challenging section dedicated to william lane craigs exposition of the kalam. Specifically, i focus on the philosopher william lane craigs defense of the argument given in his academic writings, public debates, and online articles. The cosmological argument derives its title from observing the world around us the cosmos. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. The kalam cosmological argument by william lane craig. Craig infers the existence of a personal god from the supposedly finite past of the universe. On theism, and christian theism we would expect the world to be structured and disposed so that god would have almost unlimited freedom to bring about any effect in the physical world resurrect the dead, turn water into wine, change the constants and quantities and initial conditions of the universe to bring about a transformed creation, and the like in as many modes as possible.
Nov 23, 20 a description of the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of god as formulated by william lane craig. A defense for the tenability of the kalam cosmological argument. The kalam cosmological argument commits several fallacies. Some modern defenders of the kalam argument have argued that an infinite past would entail the existence of moments infinitely removed from the present. I like the way william lane craig has wrote the book it is so clear and easy to understand. The kalam cosmological argument is a modern formulation of the cosmological argument for the existence of god. Craig has updated and defended the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of god.
Craig, mackie, and the kalam cosmological argument. Kalam cosmological argument bibliography philpapers. The cosmological argument from plato to leibniz william. The moral argument for gods existence, the natural moral law, and writings of william lane craig and j. As craig explains, from start to finish, the kalam cosmological argument is predicated upon the atheory of time. Hey wk, i didnt read your post and i believe if i did i wouldnt be able to understand it. William lane craig defends the kalam cosmological argument for the existence of god against various refutations. A william lane craig and the kalam argument cosmological argument.
Professor mackie discusses the kalam cosmological argument. Aquinas thought a temporally finite universe could not be demonstrated by reason. I am currently mapping william lane craigs kalam cosmological argument for the existence of god, along with all its supporting arguments, counterarguments, countercounterarguments, and so on. Craig provides a broad assessment of the argument in lieu of recent developments in philosophy, mathematics, science and theology.
The kalam cosmological argument william lane craig. Correction criag does not claim that the universe must have an ending, only a. The arguments can be grouped into three basic types. Potential things building to become infinite actual permanent, necessary e. A refutation of the kalam cosmological argument for god. In professor mackie and the kalam cosmological argument religious studies, xx 1984, 36775, professor william lane craig undertakes to demonstrate that j.
The kalam argument popular writings reasonable faith. Mackies most potent blast against the rationality of belief in god, his the miracle of theism appeared after his death. Summary of william lane craig s kalam cosmological argument the rest of the posts in this series can be found here. The cosmological argument from plato to leibniz library of philosophy and religion. In defense of kalam scholarly works reasonable faith. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Today this argument, largely forgotten since the time of kant, is once again back at center stage. The kalam cosmological argument william lane craig auth. Why the big bang singularity does not help the kalam cosmological argument for theism j. Most of what follows comes from craig s defense of the argument, though i will use my own words. Arguments for gods existence from an infinite regress make the entirely unwarranted assumption that god himself is immune to the regress. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them.
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