The Argument of the Unmoved Mover

The argument of the unmoved mover, or ex motu, tries to explain that God must be the cause of motion in the universe. It is therefore a form of the cosmological argument. It goes thus:

* Some things are moved.

* Everything that is moving is moved by a mover.

* An infinite regress of movers is impossible.

* Therefore, there is an unmoved mover from whom all motion proceeds.

* This mover is what we call God.

The Argument of the First Cause

The argument of the first cause (ex causa), tries, unlike the argument of the Unmoved Mover, to prove that God must have been the cause, or the creator of the universe. It is therefore a form of the cosmological argument. It goes thus :

* Some things are caused.

* Everything that is caused is caused by something else.

* An infinite regress of causation is impossible.

* Therefore, there must be an uncaused cause of all that is caused.

* This causer is what we call God.

The Argument from Contingency

The argument from contingency (ex contingentia):

* Many things in the universe may either exist or not exist. Such things are called contingent beings.

* It is impossible for everything in the universe to be contingent, as something can’t come of nothing, and if traced back eventually there must have been one thing from which all others have occurred.

* Therefore, there must be a necessary being whose existence is not contingent on any other being or beings.

* This being is whom we call God.

The Argument from Degree

The argument from degree or gradation (ex gradu). It is heavily based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. It goes thus :

* Various perfections may be found in varying degrees throughout the universe.

* These degrees of perfections bumume the existence of the perfections themselves.

* The pinnacle of perfection, from which lesser degrees of perfection derive, is what we call God.

The Teleological Argument

The teleological argument or argument of “design” (ex fine), which claims that everything in the Universe has a purpose, which must have been caused by God :

* All natural bodies in the world act towards ends.

* These objects are in themselves unintelligent.

* Acting towards an end is characteristic of intelligence.

* Therefore, there exists an intelligent being that guides all natural bodies towards their ends.

* This being is whom we call God.

edit: slightly more readable