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Is There a Causal Loop Which Avoids a First Cause?

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God and Ultimate Origins

Part of the book series: Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion ((PFPR))

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Abstract

I examine whether there exists a causal loop which avoids a First Cause. I distinguish between a causal loop in dynamic and static time and between an open and closed loop, and explain that a dynamic loop and an open loop does not avoid a First Cause. I note that a static closed loop cosmological model has been proposed by Gott and Li (Physical Review D 58:023501–1, 1998), and that we do not have adequate evidence for thinking that such a loop exists. I discuss the Bootstrap Paradox which shows that this type of causal loop is viciously circular and metaphysically impossible.

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  1. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Andrew Ter Ern Loke

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  1. Andrew Ter Ern Loke
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Correspondence to Andrew Ter Ern Loke .

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Loke, A.T.E. (2017). Is There a Causal Loop Which Avoids a First Cause?. In: God and Ultimate Origins. Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57547-6_4

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