1. The Cosmological argument attempts to infer the existence of God from the existence of the cosmos (universe) or from the phenomena within it. The claim is that the universe cannot account for its own existence – it must have a cause – otherwise the universe’s existence would be an uncaused event. The solution being God as the cause for the universe. As we will see, it is not clear how anything could function as cause for the universe as itself would be an uncaused event!

2. Aquinas lived in a time when a renewed interest in Aristotle coincided with a view that philosophy could be useful to Christian theology, for example, to demonstrate the reasonableness of faith. Aquinas’ arguments were influenced by similar thinking from both Plato (everything has a cause) and Aristotle (there is a prime mover) ‘Summa Theologica’ contained over 4000 pages yet Aquinas only devoted 2 pages to the arguments for Gods existence This was seen to be a good thing and their compact form has undoubtedly made them popular, these arguments are known as the 5 ways.

3. 1.The Unmoved mover. 2.The Uncaused Causer 3.Possibility and Necessity 4.Goodness, Truth and Nobility 5.Teleological These 5 arguments are all a posteriori (E.g. it is snowing outside) as they have their starting point in some kind of experience of the universe. The first 3 of his ‘ways’ are thought of as different variations of the Cosmological argument.

4. They change in part because they have the potential to change. Take wood as an example. A cold piece of wood has the potential to become hot.

5. The potential for change in something must be actualized by something that already has the potential property. So wood is potentially hot, its potential to become hot is actualized by the fire that already actually is hot.

6. Whatever is moved (changed) must be moved (changed) by another, which itself was moved (changed) Nothing can be in the state of potentiality and actuality at the same time. Nothing can be self changing, nothing can move itself. So each thing that is changed is changed by something else. If we are to avoid infinite regress of movers/changers we must suppose that there is a first changer or mover. This would be the unmoved mover – God.

7. Very similar line of argument as the first way but replaces mover (change) with cause. We can see around us that everything has a cause: Although it can’t be seen from the picture we know that something caused the first domino to fall – a person/wind/movement

8. Every cause has an effect, a cause always precedes its effect, for something to cause itself it would have to precede itself. Nothing ever causes itself This chain of cause and effect must have some terminus – an uncaused mover – a first cause, which is God. The first cause sees God as a factual necessity, as the causal explanation to the universe. This means he is not dependant on any other for his existence and is contingent.