NT) Thomas Aquinas= a 13th
ry Catholic priest, theologian
ilosopher (and his bird)
To study
Thomas
Aquinas’
argument
from
CAUSATION
as an
argument for
the existence
of God.
GRADE C
Will be able to give a
basic outline of the
argument from
causation
GRADE B
Will be able to organise
arguments against the
argument from
causation.
GRADE A/A*
Will be able to evaluate
arguments both for and
against this argument
proving God’s existence.
Lets play a game....
Look at the
following images
carefully and try to
work out WHAT
HAPPENED FIRST!
What CAUSED it?
David Moyes is sacked
The family of Lee Rigby lay a
wreath at Woolwich Barracks
Kesennuma city, Miyagi
prefecture
Causation: ‘The argument
that everything must have
been started off (caused)
by something else.’
Think about the starter activity – EVERYTHING has a
logical CAUSE!
This argument also relies on something
called ‘cause and effect’.
Everything that happens (effect) must
have something that has made it happen
(cause).
DOMINOS - for a row of dominos to fall (EFFECT) they
would need the first domino to be pushed (CAUSE) to set in
motion a chain of causes (one domino falls onto the next
which falls onto the next etc...)
The Causation Argument is also known as the COSMOLOGICAL
argument. It was first put forward by a Medieval Christian thinker
called THOMAS AQUINAS (SAINT)
Put the four boxes on pxx
of your booklet in what you
think is the correct order.
1.
Nothing
happens by
itself,
everything
needs a
cause
4.
Therefore,
as the
universe
exists,
there must
be a God.
2.
Therefore
the
universe
must have
a cause.
3.
Only God
could have
caused a
universe to
come
about.
GRADE C
Will be able to give a
basic outline of the
argument from
causation
GRADE B
Will be able to
organise arguments
against the argument
from causation.
GRADE A/A*
Will be able to evaluate
arguments both for and
against this argument
proving God’s existence.
Listen up!
• There are arguments against Causation.
You are going to hear some of them.
• First listen – just listen.
• Second listen – note down main points.
• Third listen – note down other details.
• Then re-write the text you have heard
using the notes you made. How close to the
original can you get?
How close did you get?
“Arguments against causation include the
mathematical idea of infinity. This means the
universe doesn’t need a beginning at all. Another
argument is that even if the universe did need a
cause, why does that cause have to be God? It
could be an extra-terrestrial lifeform. Science
argues that the “Big Bang” theory explains how
the universe began and we have proof of that;
just because everything in the world has a cause,
it doesn’t mean the universe did.
Finally if everything in the universe needs a cause
then so does God. The theory only works if we can
find out who caused God.”
GRADE C
Will be able to give a
basic outline of the
argument from
causation
GRADE B
Will be able to
organise arguments
against the argument
from causation.
GRADE A/A*
Will be able to evaluate
arguments both for and
against this argument
proving God’s existence.
Swap with a partner and mark each others work in GREEN PEN
REMEMBER
use may
you PERFECT
PEER
MARKING
cardand
andAGAINST
your YELLOW
SHEET
In the exam you
be required
to argue
both FOR
the FIRST
to help you mark in the correct way.
There
is some CORRECT ideas on the board to
CAUSE
argument.
you.
Forhelp
example…
(D) “The universe could not have happened by chance - God must have caused it.”
I DISAGREE
because…
AGAINST
– It DOES
NOT
(OR
some
people
(OR ATHEISTS)
prove
that
exists.
might disagree because…)
AGREE
because….
FOR –I It
proves
that God
(ORexist.
Thomas Aquinas and
DOES
Christians might AGREE
because…)
Now use the arguments
for
This idea
makesand
sense – against
something
cannot come from nothing – everything
to have needs
a goandat
has a CAUSE, for example…
Question
(parts
(i)with&science
(ii))– cause
Sciencepage
says that5
matter
is eternal so 2
This
argument fits
was never created or caused. Therefore and effect – maybe God caused the Big
REVISION
we don’tof
needyour
a FIRST CAUSE.
Bang. WORKBOOK.
If EVERYTHING needs a cause then
God must need a cause. His argument
contradicts itself.
Think of what we have looked at over the past two
Even if there was a FIRST CAUSE – lessons.
Everything needs a beginning including
why
does it your
have to beYELLOW
God? It could
the universe – the
only
thing omnipotent
Use
SHEET
to
help
you
Can
you
come
up
with
TWO
arguments
FOR
and
TWO
have been something else like matter.
and omniscient enough to start
the
is God.
arguments
AGAINST.
get the
rightuniverse
structure.
GRADE C
Will be able to give a
basic outline of the
argument from
causation
GRADE B
Will be able to
organise arguments
against the argument
from causation.
GRADE A/A*
Will be able to evaluate
arguments both for and
against this argument
proving God’s existence.
Decide whether the following are from the DESIGN
argument or the CAUSATION argument...