A swift and simple refutation of the Kalam cosmological argument?
WILLIAM LANE CRAIG a1 a1 Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California
90639–0001
Abstract
John Taylor complains that the Kalam cosmological argument
gives the
appearance of being a swift and simple demonstration of the existence of
a Creator
of the universe, whereas in fact a convincing argument involving the premiss
that
the
universe
began
to
exist is very difficult to achieve.
But Taylor's proffered defeaters
of the premisses of the philosophical arguments for the beginning of the
universe are
themselves typically undercut due to Taylor's inadvertence to alternatives
open to
the defender of the Kalam arguments. With respect to empirical
confirmation of the
universe's beginning Taylor is forced into an anti-realist position
on the Big Bang
theory, but without sufficient warrant for singling out the theory as non-realistic.
Therefore, despite the virtue of simplicity of form, the Kalam
cosmological argument
has not been defeated by Taylor's all too swift refutation.
