The Cosmology Theory and Sikhism - Essay Example

The Cosmology Theory and Sikhism Introduction Cosmology is the study of the universe, otherwise known as the cosmos to evaluate its origin, evolution and its fate in the face of different environmental, political, religious and social forces. Cosmology theory has for years fronted an argument that the existence of the universe is enough evidence that a supreme being who created it exist. However, atheist continue to ask questions on the roles of a supernatural power in the existence of the universe and the role that god play in the entire issue of cosmos existence (Feser 2013, p.154). Cosmological theory provides one of the only logical explanations for the existence of the universe and the presence of God who controls everything that happens within. Otherwise referred to as the first cause argument about the origin of the universe and a supreme being, the cosmological theory has been adopted by other religious organizations across the globe. The cosmological theory has also embraced atheist point of views by providing arguments that explains how the universe began, the creation process and the person who was in charge of the creation (Feser 2013, p.154). The cosmological argument was developed from various philosophical arguments including the positions taken by Plato, Aristotle and the neoplatonic traditions. Common Muslim thinkers like Al-Ghazali, Jewish philosophers like Maimonides and Christian scholastic thinkers like Aquinas and Scotus contributed to the development of the cosmological arguments (Feser 2013, p.154). Sikhism is one of the dominant religions in Punjab regions of India and was introduced in the 15th century by the guru Nanak, spreading to other parts of the country in the subsequent years. According to available theological information, Sikhism is considered as the fifth largest religion across the globe and the most dominant in the state of Punjab in India. In this paper, the Sikh approach towards the cosmological theory will be evaluated to demonstrate how the Punjab based religion has contributed to progressive development of the cosmology creation perspectives (Takhar 2014, p.361). Sikhs and Cosmological Arguments While the cosmology theory advanced a common theory of the universe creation, the Sikh gurus have attempted to develop a stable base for the universe and fix the issue of its creation. The Sikh religion is based on monotheism, the presence of one supreme leader who controls every aspect of the universe and people within it. God in Sikhism is ultimate reality, true and eternal and is therefore the power that has existed since the universe became into being and its internal aspects developed based on the cosmological theories. The Sikh gurus believe that the existence of the world is due to the creation that was made through a will of a divine and supreme human being who is referred to as the creator in the religion. The Sikhs have prophesied their belief in the creation theory and the cosmological perspective that revolves around the creation theory (Duncan, 2007, p.12). According to Guru Arjan, a famous leader of the Sikhs, a time existed when the world was non-existent but the creator made it happen. In the same way, the universe will one day disappear based on the wills of the creator, his timing and the glory that he has over the ages controlled the Before the powers of the creator were exercised, the world was in utter darkness as the creator was involved in deep meditation. However, his powers led to the existence of day and night, sun or moon, water and land, which defined the powers that the creator exercised to contribute to the universe as it, is today. The world, based on a number of Sikh’s schools of thought was born completely out of nothingness, a phrase that is common within numerous guru writings in Punjab in India (Duncan, 2007, p.9). However, the nothingness of the Sikhs is a description of the fact that no creation existed during this period and not the existence of a creator, his potency or even essence. While other religious groups across the world have adopted a modern cosmological view of the universe in which scientists argue that the universe appeared in its finished form, Sikhs do not. Instead, the Sikhs argue that the universe has passed through a gradual process of evolution in which various things have happened and led to the emergence of the universe as it is viewed today. The universe, according to Sikh’s cosmological perspective was not produced or even mechanically manufactured but a creation that beyond the understanding of an average human being. The creation as we understand it today was raised from God himself and cannot be divorced from his existence, supreme abilities and control over the universe (Davies 2005, p.131). Philosophical support for cosmological arguments The popularity and development of the cosmological argument has been attributed to the strong debate that it has generated among philosophers. While some like Hume have developed ontological arguments to counter this theory, Aquinas and other philosophers supported its preposition. Aquinas argues that a world of sense has an order of efficient cause, as there is no case that has been reported of an object being an efficient cause of itself (Perez and Romero 2012, p.105). Based on Aquinas arguments, it is not possible to enter into infinity as all efficient causes have a predetermined order, which includes the intermediate cause and the ultimate cause. Aquinas admits that the first efficient cause, which everyone, atheists included agrees, was responsible for the development of the cosmos to be God (Perez and Romero 2012, p.105). Cosmological argument is the first cause argument that essentially relates the existence of the universe with the presence of a powerful being who is the creator. As a result, this argument attempts to prove that God exist and He is responsible for the first cause of the universe through his actions and words during the creation period. The cosmological argument states that all things came into existence because a special force caused them to be aligned in such a way and to actually exist (Perez and Romero 2012, p.105). The coming into existence of the universe must have been preceded by another cause according to cosmological arguments and Sikhs believe in creation was the existence of a powerful creator. With the necessary existence of God, the Sikhs have argued in the same manner as cosmological theories that the first cause of the universe must be in his words and deeds. From a monotheist point of view as witnessed among the Sikhs, God is the only logical cause of the universe and therefore he must have existed before the universe came into being. According to Plato, the movements which resulted into the creation of the universe must have arose from an uncaused cause, one with which no other force had control over and whose free will and power contributed to the universe as witnessed today (Takhar 2014, p.360). We are one and we were all created by one merciful creator’ was one of the common messages that the founder used to attract his followers and ensure the development of unity of purpose among the people (Hibbs 2007, p.24). Medieval Muslims also formulated the Kalam cosmological argument during the middle ages, which in most aspects supported the provisions of the original cosmological argument. According to al-Ghazali, the existence of the universe has a cause that can only be attributed to the creator. However, the propositions of al-Ghazali avoided the infinite and temporal regress that previous cosmological arguments took which has been considered the weakness of the Aristotelian cosmological argument. Based on Kalam cosmological argument, anything that begins to exist has a cause that plays a role in its existence. The universe also began to exist and must have therefore had a cause for its existence that can only be the creator Allah (Perez and Romero 2012, p.106). In Feser (2013, p.169), the divinity and attribution of the cosmos to the first cause effect among the Muslims is demonstrated by their argument that the cause of the world has a strong connection to a supreme being. For cosmological theory to hold based on the Kalam argument, the cause of the universe existence must by timeless, spaceless, changeless, immaterial and powerful. Christians, islands and Jews provided the basis upon which the cosmological argument was developed during the middle ages which revolves around the existence of God. Early examples of the development of the cosmological arguments from the Islam, Jewish and Christianity foundation is the Kalam cosmological argument (De Smedt & Cruz 2011, p.103). Ibn Rushd and al-Ghazali initially formulated the Kalam cosmological argument, but later it was advanced and made popular by Thomas Aquinas in his ‘five ways’ Duns Scotus arguments. Though this position received strong critics from popular philosophers like David Hume, it still enjoys widespread recognition in contemporary religious philosophy (De Smedt & Cruz 2011, p.104). Rowe (1998) argues that things exist in the universe and their existence has a cause, since anything that is exist in the universe has a primary factor that is referred to as the causer. Therefore, it is impossible to have an infinite regress of causes, which results into the existence of the universe or any of the things found in the universe. This argument of Rowe agrees with the first cause of existence, which explains the presence of a supernatural force in the existence of lack of existence of anything (Perez and Romero 2012, p.105). Sikhism believes that man is not a helpless being that is controlled as a puppet by some forces, which makes the cult to believe in the power of freewill as compared to fate. Though fate may influence the destiny of a man, Sikhs believe that a man’s life is like a flow of a river, which can seek direction by developing internal will and strength to chart its own course. Our present is an opportunity to change the direction of our life and mould the future into what we need it to look like (Belshaw 2005, p.92). Therefore, the Sikhs cult believes that man is an action being with the power and capabilities to overcome obstacles through meditation and freewill. However, the pursuit for shaping the future and developing a stronger being with a brighter future should not be influenced by selfish ends, but by the service for humankind. Hume and Kant cosmological arguments Kant and Hume’s argument are against the cosmological argument of the existence of a creator who is directly responsible for the existence of the universe. Therefore, despite the popularity of the cosmological arguments in different major religious organisations such as the Sikhs, Jews and Christians, other philosophers were opposed to its postulates. Kant and Hume were totally against the arguments fronted by this theory, instead arguing that there is no evidence to support God as the first cause of the universe (Lærke 2013, p.59). Though such information can be factual, Kant argued that the lack of enough evidence to demonstrate that God was actually the first cause makes it non-reliable. According to Hume, this argument by Aquinas has numerous contradictions as matter cannot move itself around or exist without a cause (Oppy 2009, p.39). The argument that the unmoved and uncaused God could have contributed to the existence of the universe according to cosmological arguments cannot stand. There may have been a first cause as Hume argues, but it necessarily does not have to be God, based on the arguments of the classical theists (Augustine 1995, p.94). The growth of other mainstream and radical religions in India and other parts of the world have threatened the dominance of Sikhism as it has done to other religions in the country and in the globe. Apostasy is attributed to the emerging trends in religion that has watered the belief of people in religion and contributed to their shift to other forms of worship. The future of Sikhism will however be affected most by the apostasy due to the nature of its tradition and the preservation of its 15th century culture and practices in the face of adversity and pressure to changes. Western culture and the modern world have been blamed by the radical changes that have affected the grip of religious groups across the world though the problem may have no direct relation on the advances of civilization. Kant popularised the ontological argument, which opposed the notion of god as the most real of all things that exist in the universe and beyond. As a result, Kant argued that the most important aspect of existence and the universe is the vital notion and being which attribute creation and existence of the universe to other factors apart from a supernatural being (Mander 2012, p.994). The popularity of the ontological theory that was fronted by Kant was given much prominence after serious consideration by British idealist. However, critics of Kant’s opposition have argued that he failed to provide alternative explanations through the ontological arguments, which could counter the cosmological arguments. Kant insisted that the statements of existence are more of synthetic as opposed to the provision of analytical approaches; he demonstrated his lack of ability to refute the cosmological arguments (Mander 2012, p.994). Conclusion Cosmology theory has existed for over half a decade and has attempted to explain the existence of the universe and the Supreme Being. Though Dawkins presents an atheist point of view to the issue of the universe, Sikhism has advanced the monotheism perspective which is based on the belief that a supreme being is in charge of the creation and existence of the universe (Dawkins, 2006, p106). Before the universe came into being, God was already in existence and the lull that was characterized by darkness, lack of matter and any form of like was a time of meditation. Sikhism approach towards the issue of universe evolution borrows a lot from the cosmology theory that has also argued for the existence of a supernatural creation (Dawkin, 2006, p106). References Augustine, S., 1995. Against the Academicians. Indianapolis: Hacket Publishing Company. Belshaw, C 2005, Ten Good questions about Life and Death. Oxford: Blackwell. Davies, D., 2005. A brief history of death. Oxford: Blackwell. Dawkins, R., 2006. The God Delusion. London: Black Swan. De Smedt, J.H., 2011. 'The Cognitive Appeal of the Cosmological Argument*', Method & Theory In The Study Of Religion, 23(2), pp. 103-122. Feser, E 2013, 'The New Atheists and the Cosmological Argument', Midwest Studies In Philosophy, 37, 1, pp. 154-177. Hibbs, T., 2007. Aquinas, ethics and Philosophy of religion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Lærke, M., 2013. 'Spinoza and the Cosmological Argument According to Letter 12', British Journal For The History Of Philosophy, 21(1), pp. 57-77. 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