The Argument from Contingency
- Every contingent fact has an explanation (the Principle of Sufficient Reason).
- There is a Big Conjunctive Contingent Fact (BCCF): the conjunction of all contingent facts.
- ∴ The BCCF has an explanation. from 1, 2
- Any explanation of the BCCF must involve the causal activity of a necessary being.
- ∴ A necessary being whose activity explains all contingent facts exists. from 3, 4
- If a necessary being whose activity explains all contingent facts exists, then God exists.
- ∴ God exists. from 5, 6
Alexander R. Pruss, “The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument”, The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, ed. W. L. Craig & J. P. Moreland, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. doi.org/10.1002/9781444308334
The Kalam Cosmological Argument
- Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its beginning.
- The universe began to exist.
- ∴ The universe has a cause of its beginning. from 1, 2
- If the universe has a cause of its beginning, then a personal, transcendent creator exists.
- ∴ God exists. from 3, 4
William Lane Craig & James D. Sinclair, “The Kalam Cosmological Argument”, The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, ed. W. L. Craig & J. P. Moreland, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. doi.org/10.1002/9781444308334
The Fine-Tuning Argument evidential
- The fundamental constants and quantities of our universe are fine-tuned for the existence of life.
- A life-permitting universe is very improbable given atheistic naturalism.
- A life-permitting universe is not improbable given theism.
- Evidence that is much more probable under one hypothesis than under a rival strongly favors that hypothesis (the likelihood principle).
- ∴ probably, God exists. from 1, 2, 3, 4
Robin Collins, “The Teleological Argument: An Exploration of the Fine-Tuning of the Universe”, The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, ed. W. L. Craig & J. P. Moreland, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. doi.org/10.1002/9781444308334