Jovan Filopon i kosmološki argument

Abstract

In this paper are presented some moments needed for formulation of cosmological argument for God's existence developed in Philoponus criticism of Aristotle's philosophy. Main arguments of the polemic are presented in Philoponus book On the Eternity of the World Against Aristotle. He argues against ancient principle ex nihilo nihil fit, and for the new Christians principle - principle creatio ex nihilo. According to that, Philoponus thinks that, if Aristotle were right about the existence of an immutable fifth element (ether) in the celestial region, and if he were right about motion and time being eternal, any belief in creation would surely be unwarranted. Philoponus was to some degree succeed in pointing to numerous contradictions inconsistencies and some improbable assumptions in Aristotle's philosophy. After that are exhibited Philoponus main premises for cosmological argument. These are: first, if the existence of something requires the preexistence of something else, then the first thing will not come to be without the prior existence of the second, second, an infinite number cannot exist in actuality, nor be traversed in counting, nor be increased, an finally something cannot come into being if its existence requires the preexistence of an infinite number of other things, one arising out of the other. From these premises Philoponus deduces that the conception of a temporally infinite universe, understood as a successive causal chain, is impossible. At end of paper is presented influence of that early polemic on the further destiny of the argument.