To what extent does the 'cosmological' argument establish the Essay

To what extent does the 'cosmological' argument establish the existence of God - Essay Example 1. Thomas Aquinas adapted Aristotle and Avicenna’s thinking to form his cosmological argument in which he states that the universe is the result of a ‘first cause’ that is itself uncaused, and this ultimate cause according to him, is God. The premise of his argument basically states that every thing that was once non existent has a cause. Since, according to the second premise –something that is finite and dependent (contingent) cannot create itself. In his third premise Aquinas stated that a causal chain cannot stretch back into eternity. This is why Aquinas argues --there must be a first cause-(God)-or there must be something that is not an effect. Other cosmological veterans speculating about God’s existence - (like Aquinas) take the ‘first cause’ to be ‘God’. Aquinas’s argument is based on the fact that God has to exist due to the fact that the universe needs a cause to explain its existence. This cause is furnish ed by the concept of the creation of the universe by a supernatural being outside it, and this being is assumed to be God. Aquinas’s cosmological argument is based on Aristotle’s belief in a ‘first cause It was Aquinas who interpreted Aristotle’s uncaused cause as ‘God’ by modifying his deistic view into a theistic one. According to his cosmological argument, every event has a cause; but every cause has been caused by another. To avoid endless regression, we have to postulate an uncaused and eternal first cause –(or necessary being that created itself)-and that is God. Aquinas wrote, In his book, ‘The Governance of the World’ Aquinas propounds five ways- of proving the existence of God. In the process Aquinas argues for the presence of a benevolent order in the universe that makes even unintelligent entities work towards some goal. On the basis of these phenomenon, Aquinas argues in favour of the existence that is an essential part of