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The Uncaused Causer argument, or the "Argument from Efficient Cause", is the second of Aquinas's Five Ways and yet another point to consider in the Cosmological Argument for existence. It argues that since there is no such thing as Infinite Regress (In terms of Aquinas's belief), the chain of events that have caused the existence of life and time has to have a singular cause.

Some Convenient Metaphors[]

The Family Tree[]

Take a look at your family tree, and trace it as far back as you possibly can. You can see how your parents were

Thomas

No chain goes on forever - it always has an end.

the cause of your existence, and how your grand-parents were the cause of their existence, and so on. While we cannot trace back to the very start of time, it is logical to assume that eventaully all of humanity comes down to a single being. This being couldn't have had a cause for its own existence, because it would've had to have been the first to have ever been. This being in accordance to Aquinas's Second Way is the God of Classical Thiesm, who did not require a cause to create time and existence.

Boom! An Explosion![]

Picture an explosion, say from a bomb or a fire or something of the like (Use your imagination here, kiddies). In slow motion you could probably see the core as the explosion begins, before everything bursts out in flames and destruction. In a way, this could be used to represent the Second Way - it is the Big Bang.

The causer of the explosion is God, who has set off this bomb because of his own desire to do so. The explosion then occurs, and causes shrapnel and fire to go absolutely everywhere. This expands outwards, as events and reactions occur to a great extent.

Table of Content[]

Aquinas' Five Ways

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