Table of Contents
Is an infinite chain of causes possible?
A chain of causes cannot be infinite. It is pretty clear that this is a derived premise, since we get a long argument for it in the passage immediately following.
Is infinite regress illogical?
While it’s true that an infinite regress is a logical error, not all propositions are contingent truths. Perhaps most historically significant, many philosophers have argued for the existence of an “uncaused cause” of the universe, in order to avoid an infinite regress of causal events.
Is an infinite regress possible Why or why not?
So what is logically possible depends on the premisses we adopt. Obviously, if we assume that there cannot be infinite regresses, we will conclude that infinite regresses are impossible; and if we assume that everything must have a cause, then infinite regress is necessary.
What’s wrong with infinite regress?
An infinite regress is a series of appropriately related elements with a first member but no last member, where each element leads to or generates the next in some sense. Or the fact that the theory results in the infinite regress might itself be taken to be a reason to reject the theory.
What is infinite regress problem?
Why does a chain of causality occur?
There may be no ultimate reason for why a chain of causality occurs the way that it does beyond the fact that a chain of causality exists.
Can there be an infinite cause/effect chain with no first member?
(4.1) Any infinite cause/effect chain would have no first member (no “first cause”). [by definition] (4.2) If a causal chain has no first member, then it will have no later members. [since to take away the cause is to take away the effect] (4.3) But there exists a causal chain with later members.
Does a causal chain have a first member and later members?
(4.2) If a causal chain has no first member, then it will have no later members. [since to take away the cause is to take away the effect] (4.3) But there exists a causal chain with later members. [these are the events we witness; see P1]
Is causality a meaningless concept?
It may be possible that causality is ultimately a meaningless concept (if one rejects counterfactual definiteness for instance), but that causal chains are still a valid concept (as they would merely be chains of events). ^ “The Project Gutenberg E-text of Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, by David Hume”.
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