Philosophy Existence Of God Questions Medium
The argument from contingency is a philosophical argument that seeks to establish the existence of God based on the concept of contingency. Contingency refers to the idea that everything in the universe is dependent on something else for its existence. In other words, contingent beings are those that could have not existed or could cease to exist at any given moment.
The argument from contingency begins by observing that contingent beings exist in the world. These beings, including ourselves, are not necessary beings, as their existence is not self-explanatory. Instead, they rely on other factors or causes for their existence. For example, a tree exists because of the soil, water, sunlight, and other factors that contribute to its growth.
The argument then proceeds to assert that the chain of contingent beings cannot regress infinitely. In other words, there cannot be an infinite series of contingent causes, as this would not provide a satisfactory explanation for the existence of contingent beings. If the chain of causes were infinite, there would be no ultimate explanation for why contingent beings exist at all.
Therefore, the argument concludes that there must be a necessary being, a being that exists by its own nature and does not depend on anything else for its existence. This necessary being is what we commonly refer to as God. God is posited as the ultimate explanation for the existence of contingent beings, as He is not contingent Himself and does not rely on anything else for His existence.
The argument from contingency presents God as the necessary foundation for the existence of contingent beings. It suggests that the existence of contingent beings necessitates the existence of a necessary being, which we identify as God. However, it is important to note that this argument does not provide definitive proof of God's existence, but rather offers a philosophical rationale for considering the existence of a necessary being.