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A response to a Platonistic and to a set-theoretic objection to the Kalam cosmological argument

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2003

J. P. MORELAND
J. P. MORELAND
Affiliation:
Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639
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Abstract

The first premise of the Kalam cosmological argument has come under fire in the last few years. The premise states that the universe had a beginning, and one of two prominent arguments for it turns on the claim that an actual infinite collection of entities cannot exist. After stating the Kalam cosmological argument and the two approaches to defending its first premise, I respond to two objections against the notion that an actual infinite collection is impossible: a Platonistic objection from abstract objects and a set-theoretic objection from an ambiguity in the definition of ‘=’ and ‘<’ as applied to sets. The thought-experiment involving Hilbert's Hotel is central to the dialectic, and the discussion clarifies its use in supporting the Kalam cosmological argument.

Type
Research Article
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 373 - 390
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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