Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Some Thoughts on the Kalam

The Kalam’s key premise is that whatever begins to exist has a cause. This premise is strictly consistent with God’s existing in a past-infinite way (=PIW), for if he exists for an infinite period of time in the past, then he never came into being and thus has no cause.

It’s the manner in which the second major premise is established, that the universe began to exist, that can conflict with God existing PIW--specifically the arguments against an actual infinite.  If actual infinities are impossible, then God does not exist PIW.  Or, if past causal infinite series are impossible, then God does not exist PIW.  However, if the universe’s past finitude is established using merely scientific arguments, God existing PIW may be upheld.


These considerations lead WLC to reject God existing PIW.  God was timeless prior to creation but entered time at creation.  


A-theory holds that things literally come into being.  B-theory rejects this, instead adopting the idea that things have a beginning to their existence but do not come into being. 

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