Prepare for your GCSE Philosophy and Ethics Exam with our comprehensive multiple-choice quizzes and flashcards. Each question includes hints and detailed explanations to enhance your learning and improve your exam readiness. Start practicing now!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


How does Bertrand Russell challenge the cosmological argument?

  1. By saying the universe has no beginning

  2. By arguing that the universe does not need a cause

  3. By suggesting God does not exist

  4. By proposing the theory of evolution

The correct answer is: By arguing that the universe does not need a cause

Bertrand Russell challenges the cosmological argument primarily by asserting that the universe does not need a cause. His position emphasizes that the premise of the cosmological argument, which suggests that everything must have a cause, does not necessarily apply to the universe itself. Russell questioned the idea that the universe requires a cause or an explanation beyond its existence. He suggested that it could simply be a brute fact, something that exists without needing to be caused by something else. This perspective fundamentally undermines one of the core assumptions of the cosmological argument, which is the necessity of a first cause (often identified as God) to explain the existence of the universe. By proposing that the universe might not require such a cause, Russell invites a reconsideration of the traditional metaphysical reasoning surrounding existence and causation.