Lecture Notes: William Lane Craig’s Kalam Cosmological Argument

Introduction

• Subject: William Lane Craig’s Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God.
• Presenter: William Lane Craig, a well-known Christian philosopher and theologian.
  • Research Professor at Talbot School of Theology.
  • Renowned for debating atheists, scientists, and philosophers globally.
• Focus: Craig's version of the argument aims to show that the universe began to exist at a finite time, aligning with biblical creation narratives.

Comparison with Argument from Contingency

• Richard Taylor’s Argument: World’s dependence on God.
  • Compatible with the notion of an eternal world.
  • Example: Eternal flame and beams of light.
• Craig’s Kalam Argument: Tries to prove the universe had a temporal beginning.
  • Aimed at aligning with biblical creation (“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”).

Historical Influence

• Influenced by Al-Ghazali, a 12th-century Muslim theologian.
  • Original formulation:
    1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
    2. The universe began to exist.
    3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
• Craig’s Reformulation:
  • Premise 1: If the universe began to exist, then it has a cause.
  • Focus on the whole universe, avoiding subatomic particles debate.

Reasons for Craig’s Premise 1 (1’)

1. Something cannot come from nothing: Ex nihilo nihil fit.
2. Inexplicability of spontaneous existence: Difficult to explain why only the universe comes from nothing if possible.
3. Scientific and common experience evidence: Big Bang theory supports a universe beginning.

Premise 2: Universe Began to Exist

• Scientific Evidence: Big Bang Theory.
  • Universe began 13-14 billion years ago.
  • Astronomy and astrophysics suggest no eternal past.
  • Everything, including space and time, began with the Big Bang.
• Philosophical Defense:
  • Impossibility of an actually infinite number of past events.

Argument Against Infinite Past Events

• Premise: If the universe did not have a beginning, past events are infinite.
• David Hilbert’s Support: Actual infinity is not found in reality, only an idea.
• Craig’s Conclusion: Universe must have begun to exist due to the impossibility of infinite past events.

Actual Infinite vs Potential Infinite

• Actual Infinite:
  • Collection with an infinite number of members (e.g., infinite set of books).
  • Unique traits: Part equals the whole, nothing can be added.
• Potential Infinite:
  • Can be added to, always finite but extendable.
  • Example: Finite library can be added to.

Conclusion

• Craig argues that the infinite, in reality, is impossible, supporting the universe's beginning.
• End of the video with a promise to delve deeper in the next session into philosophical arguments against infinite past events.