PHIL 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Four Causes
Document Summary
Inductive argument: designed so that if all the premises are true, then conclusion is likely to be true or probably true. Deductive argument: designed so that if all the premises are true, then the conclusion is guaranteed to be true (designed to be valid). Argument by analogy a has f, g, and h has f, g, and h a has j. Increasing the # of similarities increases likelihood of conclusion. Final cause (1) there is a series of past causes. What makes them valid or invalid (2) everything was caused to exist by something else (premise #2 needs to be modified) (3) the series of past causes is not infinite (4) therefore, there was a first cause - god. *(2) everything but god was caused to exist by something else. Or everything that came into existence was caused to exist by something else. Or everything that came into existence was caused to exist by something else existing prior to it.