Today:

1
Today

• Attempts to Fix the Causal Argument
• Causes In Fieri vs. In Esse
• Chains, Trains Hammered Nails
• The Cause of the Chain?
• Eskimo Example
• Explanation

2
The Causal Argument

• 1. Many things have come into existence (Stuff
  exists.)
• 2. Principle of Determinism Every event has a
  cause.
• 3. Everything that has come into existence has
  done so as the result of some series of causes
  From 2
• 4. No series of causes can go back to infinity
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------
• C. Therefore, there must be some first cause

3
Aquinas Reductio (Proof for 4)

• 1. Assume, toward a contradiction, that the
  universe is the result of an infinite series of
  causes.
• 2. If a series of causes is infinite, then no
  first cause occured.
• 3. No first cause occured. From 1,2
• 4. If the first cause didnt occur, then the
  present universe doesnt exist.
• 5. The present universe doesnt exist. From 3,4
  
• 6. The present universe does exist.
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------
• C. Contradiction (5 6)! The universe cannot be
  the result of an infinite series of causes.

4
In Fieri vs. In Esse

• A cause in fieri is a factor which brought or
  helped to bring an effect into existence.
• A cause in esse is a factor which sustains or
  helps to sustain the effect in being.
• Example
• If Fred puts a book in Eds hand and Ed holds it
  there
• Fred is the cause in fieri of the books position
• Ed is the cause in esse of the books position

5
The Causal Argument Revised

• To say that there is an infinite series of causes
  in fieri doesnt lead to any absurd conclusions.
• But the Causal Argument is concerned only with
  causes in esse. (So, we should run the Causal
  argument having specified that were talking
  about causes in esse.)
• An infinite series of causes in esse is
  impossible.

6
The Causal Argument

• 1. Many things have come into existence (Stuff
  exists.)
• 2. Principle of Determinism Every event has a
  cause.
• 3. Everything that has come into existence has
  done so as the result of some series of causes
  From 2
• 4. No series of causes can go back to infinity
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------
• C. Therefore, there must be some first cause

7
Objections to the Original Causal Arg.

• Doesn't prove that the first cause is God.
• Doesn't prove single first cause.
• Doesn't prove presently existing God.
• Schopenhauers Gibe.
• The talk of causes in esse does avoid the third
  objection.
• But the rest still seem to hold.

8
Further Objection

• The principle of determinism seems reasonable
  when talking of causes in fieri, but seems less
  so when we think of causes in esse.

9
Chains, Trains Hammered Nails

• In arguing for the in esse version of the Causal
  Argument, a number of examples were given to
  support the claim that the causal series cannot
  be infinite
• Phillips The goods train
• Joyce Carpenter hammering a nail
• Joyce Chain with no hook

10
Salvaging the Causal Argument?

• Father Copleston
• Every object has acause, if you insist on the
  infinity of the series. But the series ofcauses
  is an insufficient explanation of the series
• An infinite series of contingent beings will
  be, to my way of thinking, as unable to cause
  itself as one contingent being.

11
The Cause of the Chain?

• The Causal Argument rested on ruling out the
  possibility that the causal chain is infinite.
• But a proponent of the Causal Argument might
  concede this point and still attempt to argue for
  the existence of a "First Cause".
• They might claim that even if the causal chain is
  infinite, the chain itself requires a cause. 
• This cause that lies outside the causal chain
  that comprises the universe is God.

12
Hume-Edward's Objection

• This salvage attempt rests on the erroneous
  assumption that the causal series is something
  other than it's members. 
• This is the assumption that once you "add up" all
  the events in the causal series, there is still a
  further thing--the series itself, which
  requires a cause. 
• Edwards (drawing on Hume) argues that this a
  mistake. 

13
The Eskimo Example

• Once you've cited the cause for each Eskimo's
  presence on the street corner, you've given all
  the causal information there is to give. 
• There isn't a further cause of the group's
  presence on the street corner.

14
Salvaging the Causal Argument?

• Father Copleston
• Every object has acause, if you insist on the
  infinity of the series. But the series ofcauses
  is an insufficient explanation of the series
• An infinite series of contingent beings will
  be, to my way of thinking, as unable to cause
  itself as one contingent being.

15
Explanation