Closed systems,explanations, and the cosmological argument |
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Authors: | Kevin Davey Mark Lippelmann |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Philosophy, University of Chicago, 115 E 58th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA |
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Abstract: | Examples involving infinite suspended chains or infinite trains are sometimes used to defend perceived weaknesses in traditional
cosmological arguments. In this article, we distinguish two versions of the cosmological argument, suggest that such examples
can only be relevant if it is one specific type of cosmological argument that is being considered, and then criticize the
use of such examples in this particular type of cosmological argument. Our criticism revolves around a discussion of what
it means to call a system closed, and what it means to call an explanation complete. Our analysis makes no suppositions about
the nature of the infinite, and is therefore independent of many of the issues around which contemporary discussions of the
cosmological argument have tended to revolve. |
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Keywords: | Cosmological argument Explanation Closed systems Causation First cause Efficient cause Causation in esse |
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