Aquinas Five Proofs for the Existence of God - 1933 Words

Scientific reasoning has brought humanity to incredibly high levels of sophistication in all realms of knowledge. For Saint Thomas Aquinas, his passion involved the scientific reasoning of God. The existence, simplicity and will of God are simply a few topics which Aquinas explores in the Summa Theologica. Through arguments entailing these particular topics, Aquinas forms an argument that God has the ability of knowing and willing this particular world of contingent beings. The contrasting nature of necessary beings and contingent beings is at the heart of this debate. Aquinas sets up this argument in his discussion of whether or not God exists. His five proofs set up the framework for much of his later writings in the Summa†¦show more content†¦The ideas that God is altogether simple and that he has complete knowledge of himself and all things form the foundation for much of Aquinas arguments for the existence of a world of contingent beings, deriving from a necessary being. Aquinas continues this line of reasoning in his argument that Gods knowledge is the cause of things. Aquinas likens this relationship to the artificer and the art. The artificer, working through his intellect, creates the art. As Aquinas says, Hence the form in the intellect must be the principle of action. Aquinas also says, Now it is manifest that God causes things by his intellect, since his being is his act of understanding; and hence his knowledge must be the cause of things, insofar as his will is joined to it. Aquinas is saying here that if Gods intellect creates things, i.e. human beings, then he must also be the cause of those things because his intellect is the same thing as his will. Keeping in mind that God is altogether simple, this conclusion naturally follows a logical sense of reasoning. Following article 8, Aquinas delves into a new topic in article 9 concerning whether or not God knows things that are not, or rather things that have never happened. Aquinas is referring to possibilities that never actually came into being. Aquinas argues that God does indeed know all of these things. God does not exist in any sense of time, therefore he doesnt see things inShow MoreRelated Saint Thomas Aquinas Five Proofs for the Existence of God Essay1914 Words   |  8 PagesSaint Thomas Aquinas Five Proofs for the Existence of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientific reasoning has brought humanity to incredibly high levels of sophistication in all realms of knowledge. For Saint Thomas Aquinas, his passion involved the scientific reasoning of God. The existence, simplicity and will of God are simply a few topics which Aquinas explores in the Summa Theologica. Through arguments entailing these particular topics, Aquinas forms an argument that God has the ability of knowing and willingRead MoreAquinas’ has five proofs for Gods existence. His first proof is an argument from motion. Nothing600 Words   |  3 PagesAquinas’ has five proofs for Gods existence. His first proof is an argument from motion. Nothing can move itself unless it was placed into motion. His second proof is an argument from efficient causes. We experience a series of efficient causes of things. I didn’t exist to my prior existence. Nothing before exists. Nothing can be caused by itself. The third proof is the argument from possi bility and necessity. We find natural things that are possible to be and not to be. Things come in and out ofRead MoreThe Existence Of Saint Thomas Aquinas And Ren?ï ¿ ½ Descartes1460 Words   |  6 PagesGod’s existence has long been a topic of controversy, one that spans the course of many centuries and––because of its nature––will never be resolved. Two notable philosophers have attempted to prove God’s existence: Saint Thomas Aquinas and Renà © Descartes. Despite having been influenced by the former, Descartes’ arguments––while similar to Aquinas’––are reached through noticeably different methods. To analyze Aquinas’ proof for God’s existence, it is important to first analyze his definition ofRead MoreThe Existence Of God s Existence1339 Words   |  6 Pagesto find proofs or evidence to appease our minds. Questions like â€Å"What is our purpose?† or â€Å"Why or how is the world created?† are some of the general questions that typically lead to the idea of God. The existence of God is one of the most sought out topic that is frequently inquired. Is there really a God or is God merely a concept humans created to explain the unexplainable? And if God does exist, what makes him different from the rest of us? A well-known philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas, introducedRead MoreSt. Thomas Aquinas On The Existence Of God1338 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers shifted their focus primarily to proving the existence of God, as well as other religious tenets they held. Two Saints of the Catholic Church, St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, developed their own respective proofs for the existence of God. These proofs have gained fame over the subsequent centuries and still face debate and comparison today. Although both St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas both offer proofs for the existence of God, the proofs differ drastically due to the distinct argumentativeRead MoreAn Examination Into The Respective Proofs Of St. Aquinas1288 Words   |  6 PagesRespective Proofs of St. Anselm and St. Aquinas During the Medieval Period, philosophers shifted their focus primarily to proving the existence of God, as well as other religious tenets. Two Saints of the Catholic Church, St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, developed their own respective proofs for the existence of God. These proofs have gained fame over the subsequent centuries and still face debate and comparison today. Although both St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas offer proofs for the existence of GodRead MoreThe Five Ways Of The Existence Of God1557 Words   |  7 Pagesshort paper will analyze â€Å"The Five Ways†, from Summa Theologica, by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). We cannot prove that God exists, merely by considering the word God, for that strategy work, we would have to presume to know God s essence. According to Aquinas, the existence of God can be proved. This paper will discuss what each of the five ways are that Thomas Aquinas introduced to show the existence of God. The Argument from Change: To begin with, one way to prove that God exists is to contemplate theRead More Existence of God Essay1571 Words   |  7 PagesIn the â€Å"Suma Theologica,† by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas combines the doctrines of Christianity with Aristotelian philosophy, through the assertion that as a result of observation, utilization of the senses, and an empirical mindset, one can substantiate the existence of God. Aquinas holds the conception that in the quest for God’s existence, philosophy and theology are interwoven together and both play complementary roles. He infuses numerous theological doctrines, mainly from Saint AugustineRead MoreThe s Ontological Proof For The Existence Of God Essay1134 Words   |  5 Pagesontological proof for the existence of God. In an effort to gain a deeper knowledge and acquaintance with his creator, Anselm set out to logically deduce God’s existence from the very definition of God. In the Proslogion he writ es, â€Å"God is that which a greater cannot be thought. Whoever understands this properly, understands that this being exists in such a way that he cannot, even in thought, fail to exist† (Anselm, 101). Anselm uses this definition as the fundamental argument for his proof of God’sRead MoreThe Five Ways Of Proving God s Existence790 Words   |  4 PagesEdward Tajchman Intro to Philosophy 29 October 2014 Reflections on The Essay, The Five Ways of Proving God s Existence, by Thomas Aquinas Aquinas proposes that there are five ways of proving the existence of god. The first way is motion. Things in motion are not put in motion of their own accord, so they must have been put in motion by another force. This takes a thing from potentiality into the realm of actuality. Because this thing cannot be the mover and also the thing being moved, another force