The cosmological argument infers the existence of a special being such as God from facts about the universe, such as that specific entities are contingent on other causes and the universe as a whole is contingent in that it could be different or not exist at all. Philosophers and theologians use deductive, inductive, or abductive reasoning to conclude that a first cause, sustaining cause, or necessary entity best explains these facts about the dependent and contingent nature of the universe and events within it. The goal of traditional cosmological arguments is to prove God's existence, though modern versions are considered independently of natural theology.
The cosmological argument infers the existence of a special being such as God from facts about the universe, such as that specific entities are contingent on other causes and the universe as a whole is contingent in that it could be different or not exist at all. Philosophers and theologians use deductive, inductive, or abductive reasoning to conclude that a first cause, sustaining cause, or necessary entity best explains these facts about the dependent and contingent nature of the universe and events within it. The goal of traditional cosmological arguments is to prove God's existence, though modern versions are considered independently of natural theology.
The cosmological argument infers the existence of a special being such as God from facts about the universe, such as that specific entities are contingent on other causes and the universe as a whole is contingent in that it could be different or not exist at all. Philosophers and theologians use deductive, inductive, or abductive reasoning to conclude that a first cause, sustaining cause, or necessary entity best explains these facts about the dependent and contingent nature of the universe and events within it. The goal of traditional cosmological arguments is to prove God's existence, though modern versions are considered independently of natural theology.
The cosmological argument is more of an argument type than a specific
argument. It makes an inference from certain claimed facts about the
universe (cosmos) to the presence of a special being, sometimes referred to as God, by using a general pattern of argumentation (logos). The Big Conjunctive Contingent Fact may have an explanation, or the universe came into existence. These initial facts include the fact that specific entities or events in the universe are causally dependent or contingent, that the universe as the totality of contingent things is contingent in that it could have been other than it is or not existed at all. Philosophers and theologians draw conclusions about the existence of a first cause, sustaining cause, immovable mover, necessary entity, or personal being (God) that caused and/or sustains the cosmos deductively, inductively, or abductively from these facts in order to arrive at the best explanation. The goal of traditional natural theology, which includes the cosmological argument, is to demonstrate the existence of God. However, modern treatments of the cosmological argument typically take place independently of natural theological considerations, leading to the emergence of a cottage industry all their own.