Question

What are some counter-arguments to the cosmological argument.

Answer 1

This one is hardest for me to write about

Answer 2

even if you call whatever force that created the universe "god" there is no evidence that entity is the god described by any religion. or even that "god" still exists. or that "god" wasn't a committee.

Answer 3

or that "god" cares about any of its creations. or is even aware of any of its creations.

Answer 4

even granting that some intelligent force created the universe, it barely makes any progress towards proving any particular religion true.

Answer 5

in addition, it is often held up as being an explanation for the complexity of the universe, but that just shifts the problem towards trying to explain the source of that creative force.

Answer 6

diests often claim special pleading, saying "god always existed", without explaining why the universe might not also then have always existed

Answer 7

So you're saying that, even if the cosmological argument succeeds in determining the existence of a 'first cause', it cannot argue that that particular 'first cause' is the god described by any particular religion?

Answer 8

exactly right

Answer 9

or that the first cause even still exists today, or is aware of or cares about anything in the universe, or even is capable of awareness or caring.

Answer 10

Great stuff I'll include all of that.

Answer 11

i'm curious what class this is?

Answer 12

basic philosophy

Answer 13

ugh, philosophy has not impressed me. I never took it in college but bought a half-dozen philosophy textbooks a few years ago and was thoroughly unimpressed by them. half of them filled with these vapid circular god arguments that never go anywhere interesting.

Answer 14

where do you go to school?

Answer 15

Yeah. I'm hoping that we move a little bit lower from the 'god' stuff and into the stuff like consciousness etc.

Answer 16

I'm not technically a student at school: I just persuade the professors at a local uni to give me stuff to do :-P

Answer 17

haha, nice

Answer 18

outside the US i'm guessing

Answer 19

I wish I can officially go to school someday; I might meet girls

Answer 20

where do you go?

Answer 21

it's quite a big school, but it focuses on the engineering disciplines besides computer science.

Answer 22

ah. well, i'm off to bed, have a good evening