By: Justin Angelos | September 5, 2023
Gottfried Leibniz argued everything that exists has an explanation of its existence either, in the necessity of its own nature or by some external cause.[1] If something exists necessarily, that means it does not depend on any external factor for it is existence. Abstract objects like numbers, exist necessarily, the number seven cannot cease to exist, The number seven can in any possible world therefore number seven exists necessarily. So, something that could not have been otherwise is metaphysically necessary; if it is the case, that something could have been otherwise, that thing is contingent. [2]
Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason
The principle of sufficient reason insists that every truth or fact requires a sufficient reason, Leibniz believed that sufficient reason is an “a priori proof.” According to Stanford University, Leibniz is not using the Kantian term for “a priori” which is a proof from reasoning and a proof that does not require any proof from the sense experience which would be a posteriori. According to Immanuel Kant, a priori knowledge is completely independent of experiences. [3]
Leibniz posits that the notion of “a priori” serves to demonstrate the causal sequence of events. His concept of sufficient reason is linked with his perspective on truth and the interplay between his theory of modality. The statement that unmarried men are bachelors is an example of Leibniz’s view of a priori or what Leibniz called, the conceptual containment theory of truth.[4]
If the Universe has an explanation of its existence, there must be a sufficient reason why, the universe exists instead of nothing. The explanation for the cause of the universe must be a necessary first cause because anything contingent (matter) did not exist before the creation of the universe. The best explanation is a metaphysically necessary unembodied mind, with free will chose to create the universe.
P.1 Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence (either in the necessity of its own nature or by some external cause).
P.2 If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.
P.4 Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence.
P.5 Therefore, the explanation of the existence of the universe is God.
It is metaphysically impossible for something to come into existence out of nothing if there was complete and absolute nothingness, no God, absolutely nothing, no space, or matter, as Dr. Craig argues, then how can the universe magically come into existence for no reason at all? [5]
So either the universe created itself out of nothing, or God is the explanation for the cause of the universe. The contingency argument offers good reasons to show that belief in God is a rational belief and not an irrational belief. There are only two options for the creation of the universe, and that is, nothing created the universe or God created the universe.
The contingency argument is an appeal to inductive reasoning that uses a disjunctive syllogism which is known as Modus Tollendo Ponens. If A is true [6] then B cannot be true, and if B is true, then A cannot be true. However, A and B cannot both be true. This is an example of a disjunctive syllogism. 7 If the universe has an explanation, that explanation is God, if the universe does not have an explanation, then atheism would be true. The universe does have an explanation of its existence; therefore, God is the best explanation for why anything exists in our contingent universe.
Notes
[1] William Lane Craig, Philosophy of Religion.
[2] Timothy Williamson, Modal Logic as Metaphysics p.3
[3] Stanford.edu/sufficient reason
[4] Standfor.edu/sufficient reason
[5] William Lane Craig, Philosophy or Religion, a Reader and a Guide p.71
[6] Logic Good and bad
Works Cited
Craig, William Lane, and Kevin Meeker. Philosophy of Religion: A Reader and Guide, n.d.
Logic – Good and Bad. Accessed September 4, 2023. https://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/examples_logic.html.
“Philosophy Index.” Disjunctive Syllogism {Philosophy Index }. Accessed September 4, 2023. https://www.philosophy-index.com/logic/forms/disjunctive-syllogism.php.
Reichenbach, Bruce. “Cosmological Argument.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, June 30, 2022. Last modified June 30, 2022. Accessed September 1, 2023. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/.
