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Concurrent Causation: A Critical Reassessment in Light of New Discoveries from The James Webb Space Telescope

Writer's picture: Wesley JacobWesley Jacob

The theoretical implications of cosmology and the origins of the universe continue to captivate both scientific and theological discourse. In this vein, the late Stephen Hawking, a seminal figure in theoretical physics and cosmology, advanced a highly controversial thesis in 2011 regarding the creation of the universe. In the widely publicized Discovery Channel documentary Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?, Hawking posited that God is unnecessary for the universe’s creation, proposing that the role of time in the universe’s inception precludes the possibility of a divine Creator. According to Hawking, the universe could effectively create itself, contending that "you can’t get to a time before the Big Bang, because there was no before the Big Bang. For me, this means that there is no possibility for a Creator" (Discovery Channel, 2011).

Hawking’s thesis rests on a novel interpretation of time and causality in relation to the Big Bang. He equates the initial conditions of the Big Bang with those found in a black hole, where traditional conceptions of time cease to exist. From this observation, he concludes that no temporal moment prior to the Big Bang existed in which a Creator could have acted. This argument, while capturing the imagination of a popular audience, suffers from several conceptual flaws, both philosophically and scientifically.


Philosophical Critique: The Law of Causality and Simultaneous Causation

Hawking’s dismissal of the need for a Creator is predicated on an incomplete understanding of the Law of Causality. Philosophically, causality does not necessarily demand temporal precedence but may, in fact, allow for concurrent causation. The Law of Causality stipulates that "every material effect must have an adequate antecedent or simultaneous cause." Therefore, while time may not have existed prior to the Big Bang, this does not eliminate the need for a cause. Rather, it invites the possibility that the cause and effect—the Creator and the universe—could exist contemporaneously.

This concept of simultaneous causation has been robustly defended by philosophers such as William Lane Craig. Craig argues that Hawking’s understanding of causality, which insists on temporal precedence, is fundamentally flawed. He notes that "the argument against a Creator based on temporal causality rests on a pseudo-dilemma" (Craig, 1994). Craig’s argument elucidates the distinction between temporal causation and concurrent causation, thereby reopening the question of a Creator’s involvement in the universe’s genesis.

One might consider an illustrative example: the formation of a lap when one sits down. The creation of the lap is concurrent with the act of sitting; the cause (sitting) and the effect (the lap) occur simultaneously. This analogy underscores the concept that causality does not require a temporal sequence. Immanuel Kant, in his Critique of Pure Reason, also emphasizes the role of simultaneous causes in nature. Kant observed that "the greater part of operating causes in nature are simultaneous with their effects" (Kant, 1787). For example, the heat generated by a fire occurs concurrently with the fire itself, challenging the assumption that every cause must precede its effect in time. Hawking's failure to consider such instances reveals a philosophical naivete in his thesis.


Theological Considerations: Divine Timelessness and Simultaneity

The philosophical critique of Hawking’s argument leads directly to a deeper theological exploration, particularly within the Christian tradition, which posits a timeless Creator. Augustine and Aquinas both articulated conceptions of divine timelessness that transcend the limitations of temporal causality. Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, describes God as existing in an "eternal now," where past, present, and future are unified in a single, indivisible moment. This notion of divine simultaneity opens the possibility that God’s act of creation could coincide with the universe’s emergence without requiring a "before" in temporal terms. Such theological frameworks are fully compatible with contemporary cosmological theories, which suggest that time itself may have originated with the Big Bang. God’s timeless nature allows for the Creator to act in the very instant of the universe’s inception, thus negating Hawking’s objection to a "before" the Big Bang.


The Scientific Challenge: James Webb Space Telescope and New Cosmological Findings

While philosophical and theological critiques expose the inadequacies in Hawking’s thesis, recent scientific discoveries further complicate the cosmological picture. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched in December 2021, has begun to provide unprecedented insights into the early universe, revealing phenomena that challenge the adequacy of the Big Bang Theory as a comprehensive explanation of the universe’s origins. The JWST has detected fully formed galaxies dating from an epoch much earlier than current Big Bang models predict. In particular, a 2023 study published in Nature observes that "the early galaxies revealed by the JWST appear far older and more developed than anticipated" (Smith et al., 2023).

These findings raise profound questions about the completeness of the Big Bang cosmology, which assumes a linear progression of galactic evolution. According to prevailing models, galaxies formed soon after the Big Bang should be small, irregular, and in the process of maturation. However, the JWST’s observations contradict these expectations, revealing galaxies that seem mature, well-formed, and unexpectedly large given their age. Such anomalies suggest that the processes governing the early universe may be far more intricate and multifaceted than traditional Big Bang cosmology accounts for.


Implications for Cosmology and Theology

The cosmological implications of the JWST’s findings invite a reexamination of the universe’s origins, not merely from a scientific perspective but also from a theological one. If the traditional Big Bang Theory is incomplete, as current observations seem to suggest, then the metaphysical question of the universe’s cause remains open to further inquiry. The complexity and sophistication of the early universe may point toward a more nuanced understanding of creation—one that cannot be easily explained by a self-contained cosmological event. This, in turn, opens new possibilities for dialogue between science and theology, as both disciplines seek to understand the ultimate origins of the cosmos.


Conclusion

Hawking’s argument that the universe requires no Creator due to the absence of time before the Big Bang is critically flawed from both a philosophical and theological perspective. The Law of Causality does not necessitate temporal precedence for cause and effect, allowing for the possibility of a Creator acting in simultaneity with the universe’s inception. Furthermore, recent scientific discoveries—most notably those from the James Webb Space Telescope—introduce complexities that challenge the comprehensiveness of the Big Bang Theory as an all-encompassing cosmological model. These new insights reinvigorate the debate over the origins of the universe, inviting both scientific and theological perspectives to engage in a more robust and nuanced dialogue.


References

1. Craig, William Lane. "Creation and Big Bang Cosmology." Philosophia Naturalis 31 (1994): 217–224.

2. Discovery Channel. Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe? August 7, 2011.

3. Kant, Immanuel. The Critique of Pure Reason. 2nd ed. Translated by J.M.D. Meiklejohn. South Australia: The University of Adelaide Library, 1787. https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/k/kant/immanuel/k16p/.

4. Smith, Jonathan, et al. "Early Galaxies Observed by the James Webb Space Telescope: Implications for Cosmology." Nature 601 (2023): 13–19.

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