Final answer:
The causal principle in philosophy contends that all events or states of affairs have causes. William Lane Craig advocates for the Kalam cosmological argument, asserting the universe has a beginning and, therefore, must have a cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
The causal principle is a philosophical concept that suggests every event or state of affairs has a cause. In metaphysics and cosmology, this principle is pivotal because it addresses questions of how reality is ordered and seeks to explain the existence of the universe by proposing a first cause or prime mover. Historically, Aristotle championed this concept through his doctrine of the four causes, which include the material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause, and he posited that understanding these could lead to comprehension of the universe's nature.
Contemporary philosopher William Lane Craig is known for advocating the Kalam cosmological argument, which posits that the universe has a cause for its existence due to it having a beginning. This argument is a modern formulation of a classical approach to cosmology, structuring it with premises that assume everything that begins to exist has a cause. Some critics argue against the first premise by questioning the evidence for events that defy natural laws, but Craig defends it by insisting that philosophical and scientific considerations support the universe having an absolute beginning.
Some may debate the causal principle by referring to quantum mechanics, where certain events are said to not require a cause. However, Craig and others who support the causal principle would refine the argument to state that 'everything that begins to exist has a cause,' sidestepping potential issues with causality at the quantum level.