The argument from origination (kalām cosmological argument)
al-Kindīal-GhazālīWilliam Lane Craig
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
For the theologians the world came into existence (is originated); everything that comes into existence must have a cause of its existence; therefore the world has a creator. The argument rests on the premise that an infinite past is impossible. In the 20th century William Lane Craig revived it together with Big Bang cosmology; critics question its premises and this reading of the Big Bang.
For specialists
The classical form shows that bodies cannot be without accidents and that accidents are originated, concluding that bodies are originated. Craig's version rests on two premises: the impossibility of an actual infinite (Hilbert's hotel) and the impossibility of forming an infinite by successive addition. Objections include the consistency of the actual infinite in mathematics (Cantor), doubts about applying the causal principle to the universe itself, "no-boundary" models in quantum cosmology (Hartle–Hawking) and Kant's first antinomy.
Claims
- Whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore the universe has a cause.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
An infinite number of past events cannot be completed by successive addition, so the past must have a beginning.[1]
Proponents argue that Big Bang cosmology supports a finite past for the universe.[1]
Challenging
It has not been shown that an actual infinite is inconsistent, nor has applying the causal principle to the universe as a whole been justified.[2]
Connections
Sources
- Book (1979). The Kalām Cosmological Argument. Macmillan, London
- Book (2006). Arguing about Gods. Cambridge University Press
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). The argument from origination (kalām cosmological argument). Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/hudus-delili/
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title = {The argument from origination (kalām cosmological argument)},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/hudus-delili/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history