Apologetics 204: Leibniz’ Contingency Argument

Welcome to our course on the Leibnizian Contingency Argument!

Why is there something rather than nothing? In this course, Dr. Craig walks through an argument for God that is based on this question – what many would call the most fundamental question we can ask about our universe!

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.

2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.

3. The universe exists.

4. Therefore, the explanation of the existence of the universe is God.

We expect that this course will take 6-8 hours to complete. Good luck!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon the completion of this course, you will be equipped to:

• Offer a thoughtful response to the question “Why is there something rather than nothing?”
• Defend the Principle of Sufficient Reason, which states that any thing that exists must have an explanation for why it exists rather than not.
• Explain why the universe ought to be seen as a contingent thing.
• Defend the idea that a transcendent cause is the best explanation for the existence of the universe.
• Share the steps of the Contingency Argument for God and respond to the most common objections to it.