Essay 2 Religion

Jacob Hoffman

2/2/2018

Essay 2

        Religion has been apart of humanity for thousands of years and is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. Justifying whether there is a God/gods, has been immensely debated between many philosophers. For example, in “The Second Way”, Aquinas presents an argument for the existence of God and David Hume criticizes that argument. Aquinas argument in the second way of believing there is a God is from the nature of efficient cause. What Aquinas means by this is that there is a reason to believe in a first efficient cause, which we he assumes that this is enough to support the idea of a God or some sort of creator. Aquinas also argues, “But we do not find, nor indeed is it possible, that anything is the efficient cause of itself, for in that case it would be prior to itself, which is impossible.” (text, p. 148) What Aquinas is trying to prove with this point is that there must be a first cause, which causes other things to come into existence but did not itself come into existence. On the other hand, there is Hume’s criticizes this and argues that there is no reason why the cause and effect chain cannot be infinite. As part of criticizing Aquinas Hume also states “Let us admit the necessity of a first cause. Shall we then ask for a cause of this cause? If not, then may we not argue a material first cause of this material universe?” (text, p. 168) Hume is pointing out the main flaw of Aquinas argument of a first cause and how there must be a cause before that to prove that argument. In my opinion Hume supplies a valid counter argument that disassembles Aquinas point that there is a first cause.

        Hume’s ideas and opinions also carry on to two different points, the Problem of Evil, and the Argument of Design. The Problem of Evil brings the argument that there is evil in this world which would mean that an all good God would not allow this and therefor does not exist. The Argument from Design aims to demonstrate the existence of God by citing as evidence the appearance of design or purpose in the natural world. Hume says “The whole earth is cursed and polluted. A perpetual war is kindled among living creatures. Necessity, hunger, want stimulate the strong and courageous; fear, anxiety, terror, agitate the weak and the infirm. The first entrance into life gives anguish to the newborn infant and to parent. Weakness, impotence, distress, attend each stage of many lives which are finished at last in agony and horror.” (text, p.166) Hume’s intended point in this passage is that he supports the idea of the Problem of Evil and that there is evil in everything supporting that if there is all this suffering in the world then its is obvious that an all good, all powerful, and all-knowing God does not exist. The Argument from Evil and the Argument from Design can both be true since the Argument from Design supports the existence of a God do to the design of the natural world, where the Problem of Evil does not support the idea of there being an all good, all powerful, and all-knowing God but never states that their can be a God who allows evil to exist in the natural world.