Phil 347 Midterm 1 Solutions 2024 (A+
Rated )
Theism - ANS-Belief in God
Natural Theology - ANS-Philosophical reasons for belief in God (generic theism)
Revealed Theology - ANS-Belief in God based on authority (religion specific theism)
Natural vs. Revealed Theology - ANS-Natural takes you halfway to God; there might be
a higher power
Revealed takes you all the way to God; believing in the rules of the authoritative power -
Most religions require generic theism
Problem of evil - ANS-How can there be a God if there is suffering in the world?
The Problem of Divine Hiddenness - ANS-God would not let me pray and have no
answer for me
Okham's Razor - ANS-Don't multiply objects beyond necessity; if you can explain the
world in its depth, then there is no need for further explanation based on a belief in God
Kalam Timeline - ANS-400 BC - Plato
500 AD - Philoponus
1979 - William Craig
Kalam - Plato - ANS-Book: Timaeus
"Everything that becomes must of necessity be created by some cause, fo without a
cause nothing can be created"
Kalam - Philoponus - ANS-Based in Syria to arrive at name "Kalam" - Argued Aristotle
on the eternity of the world; if you have a real infinity of past events, then you can't add
to it, so the world cannot be infinite
, Kalam - William Craig - ANS-Had secondary status within the Kalam argument until he
published his thoughts (1979)
Kalam Argument can be traced back to... - ANS-Plato & Philo Ponus
Kalam Argument - ANS-1. Everything that begins to exist has a distinct cause
2. The universe began to exist
2.a Because actual infinities are absurd per se
2.b Even if there were actual infinities, it would be impossible to traverse one to get to
the present
2.b.i Big Bang Singularity
2.b.ii Thermodynamics
3. Hence, the universe has a cause distinct from itself
3.a There exists something that is: the cause of the universe, eternal, transcendent,
personal
Kalam - Big Bang Confirmation - ANS-Expanding universe (Hubble)
1. The universe moving backwards would contract to a singular point
2. Detectable background radiation is indicative of an explosion
Kalam - Thermodynamics Confirmation - ANS-1. The energy amount is constant &
being converted to heat energy
2. The heat, the total energy in the universe, approaches cosmic equilibrium 3. If the
universe has always existed, we should have run out of energy an infinite time ago
Kalam - Something exists which is... - ANS-1. The cause of the universe
2. Eternal
3. Transcendent
4. Personal
4.a If the cause were mechanical then the universe would have always existed 4.a.i
Mechanical cause - operate on material conditions needing to be in place and the laws
of nature
A priori - ANS-the explanations are done completely on a conceptual level
A posteriori - ANS-depends on empirical and observational data
Kalam Objections - ANS-1. Hume's empiricist objection to premise one
2. Krauss' quantum physics objection to premise one
Rated )
Theism - ANS-Belief in God
Natural Theology - ANS-Philosophical reasons for belief in God (generic theism)
Revealed Theology - ANS-Belief in God based on authority (religion specific theism)
Natural vs. Revealed Theology - ANS-Natural takes you halfway to God; there might be
a higher power
Revealed takes you all the way to God; believing in the rules of the authoritative power -
Most religions require generic theism
Problem of evil - ANS-How can there be a God if there is suffering in the world?
The Problem of Divine Hiddenness - ANS-God would not let me pray and have no
answer for me
Okham's Razor - ANS-Don't multiply objects beyond necessity; if you can explain the
world in its depth, then there is no need for further explanation based on a belief in God
Kalam Timeline - ANS-400 BC - Plato
500 AD - Philoponus
1979 - William Craig
Kalam - Plato - ANS-Book: Timaeus
"Everything that becomes must of necessity be created by some cause, fo without a
cause nothing can be created"
Kalam - Philoponus - ANS-Based in Syria to arrive at name "Kalam" - Argued Aristotle
on the eternity of the world; if you have a real infinity of past events, then you can't add
to it, so the world cannot be infinite
, Kalam - William Craig - ANS-Had secondary status within the Kalam argument until he
published his thoughts (1979)
Kalam Argument can be traced back to... - ANS-Plato & Philo Ponus
Kalam Argument - ANS-1. Everything that begins to exist has a distinct cause
2. The universe began to exist
2.a Because actual infinities are absurd per se
2.b Even if there were actual infinities, it would be impossible to traverse one to get to
the present
2.b.i Big Bang Singularity
2.b.ii Thermodynamics
3. Hence, the universe has a cause distinct from itself
3.a There exists something that is: the cause of the universe, eternal, transcendent,
personal
Kalam - Big Bang Confirmation - ANS-Expanding universe (Hubble)
1. The universe moving backwards would contract to a singular point
2. Detectable background radiation is indicative of an explosion
Kalam - Thermodynamics Confirmation - ANS-1. The energy amount is constant &
being converted to heat energy
2. The heat, the total energy in the universe, approaches cosmic equilibrium 3. If the
universe has always existed, we should have run out of energy an infinite time ago
Kalam - Something exists which is... - ANS-1. The cause of the universe
2. Eternal
3. Transcendent
4. Personal
4.a If the cause were mechanical then the universe would have always existed 4.a.i
Mechanical cause - operate on material conditions needing to be in place and the laws
of nature
A priori - ANS-the explanations are done completely on a conceptual level
A posteriori - ANS-depends on empirical and observational data
Kalam Objections - ANS-1. Hume's empiricist objection to premise one
2. Krauss' quantum physics objection to premise one
