Are there any objections to Thomas Aquinas' first-cause argument?
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First cause | philosophy | Britannica.com
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First cause, in philosophy, the self-created being (i.e., God) to which every chain ... argument came from the medieval theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, who was ...
The First Cause Argument by Peter Kreeft
http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/first-cause.htm
If there is no first cause, then the universe is like a great chain with ... of all arguments for the existence of God are the "five ways" of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Unpacking the First Cause Argument for God : Strange Notions
https://strangenotions.com/unpacking-first-cause/
The most famous of all arguments for the existence of God are the "five ways" of Saint Thomas Aquinas. One of the five ways, the fifth, is the argument from ...
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Yes, there are objections to Thomas Aquinas' first-cause argument. The first-cause argument, also known as the cosmological argument, posits that everything in the universe has a cause, and therefore, there must be an initial cause or First Cause that set everything into motion. However, there are several objections raised against this argument.
One objection is the infinite regress objection. It argues that if everything has a cause, then what caused the First Cause itself? If there is an infinite regress of causes, then the argument does not provide a satisfactory explanation for the ultimate origin of the universe.
Another objection is the "brute fact" objection. Some philosophers argue that the existence of the universe simply is a brute fact, meaning it exists without any explanation or cause. They argue that not everything needs a cause, and that the concept of a First Cause may not be necessary.
Additionally, the objection of multiple First Causes suggests that the argument assumes there can only be one First Cause, but it is possible that multiple independent beings or entities could be responsible for initiating different chains of causes.
It's important to note that these objections do not necessarily disprove Aquinas' first-cause argument definitively, but rather provide counterarguments and alternative perspectives to consider. Philosophical debates often involve weighing different perspectives and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of various arguments.