Aquinas' Fifth Way Argument - Essay Example

Aquinas fifth way argument St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) is generally regarded as the most notable andthe most significant Catholic theologian in history. Commonly considered as the premier accomplishment concerning a methodical view of theology, in his foremost masterpiece Summa Theologica, Aquinas presented five proofs of God’s existence known as the Quinque Viae (Five Ways).1 Hundreds of years later, Christians today still subscribe to Aquinas’ belief that it is possible to distinguish truths about God based on both human reasoning and revelations from God. This discussion presents a summation of Aquinas’ Fifth Way argument promoting a grand designer and examines points of view from David Hume, John Hicks, and Douglas Geivett among others regarding the validity of its reasoning regarding the existence of God. As it is imperative to understand the context of Aquinas’ Fifth Way argument, a brief description of the first four ways (all based on the study of natural events) will be presented. Aquinas was, as were many intellectuals of his time, influenced by the works of Aristotle (384-322 BC) who had argued that for something to be created or to changed necessitated the influence of an outside source. This concept was the basis for Aquinas’ theological writings noticeable predominantly in the first three of Aquinas’ Five Ways. The first way involves the evidence of motion. Everything in the world changes at some point and because something in motion needs a force to move this change proves the existence of God.2 Aquinas borrowed this concept to propose the sustaining acts of God arguing that without Him, the heavens and the earth cease to exist. This is the fundamental idea that everything contained in the universe is dependent on something other than itself for its existence. Despite the fact that the earth appears to be self-perpetuating, one should take into account the origins of the universe as well.3 The second way has to do with the concept of efficient cause. For the sequence of the apparent causes and effects in the world to seem sensible, this sequence must have a beginning therefore God exists.4 The concept of cause and effect suggests there cannot be an effect without cause nor can there be a continual regression of cause and effect thus “there must be a first cause which is God.”5 The third way explains that everything that exists does not owe its existence to itself. However, “if all things are contingent, there could not have been anything as at one time all these could be non-existent. To account for all existence, there must be a necessary being, God.”6 Things exist in the world but there was a time before certain things subsisted and there will come a time when they no longer subsist. There must also have been a time when nothing existed. “Objects have contingent existence (they can or cannot exist) but only God has necessary existence thus if God did not exist nothing else would exist.”7 The fourth of Aquinas’ proofs has associations with what have been termed the ‘Moral Arguments’ for the existence of God.8 The world can be viewed as having differing degrees of goodness. Since people have the aptitude for good and evil, the sum of their conduct could not be the source of all righteousness. Therefore, at the highest level of morality must be God who is the source of all that is good. Bible scholars suggest that “to deny the existence of God is to take away the moral supports that stop society from falling into moral relativism and nihilism.”9 The fifth way argues that the “behavior of things in the world implies a Grand Designer or architect, God.”10 Nature inherently shows us that there is an order and that all things seem to have a sense of purpose or ‘design.’ “We know that nothing that has purpose does so without the aid of a ‘guiding hand.’ For example, an archer shooting an arrow at a target, thus everything in nature is directed to its goal by God.”11 The fifth way defines God as the director of all actions and processes, the ‘puppeteer’ of the natural world. Objects that cannot think and reason move so they must be directed from an intelligent source much the same as the arrow is directed toward its target or a watch does not wind itself. “Therefore some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and this being we call God.”12 The fifth way emphasizes that non-living objects and planetary processes appear to be moving in a way that ultimately produces favorable consequence therefore proving that these things must be controlled by an intelligent being. The definition of favorable consequence is a debatable subject. If, for example, the planets constantly worked toward the most favorable consequence, then shouldn’t all nine planets contain life? Eight planets are, for all intents and purposes, barren and lifeless, certainly less than favorable circumstances. The environmental condition of Earth, certainly, achieved this measure used for the existence of God but that is a very low percentage of success especially if the moons of the planets are considered. Surely, an all-knowing, all-powerful, omnipotent entity such as God would enjoy a higher success rate. Using this argument as a guide, the life sustaining environment on this planet does indeed seem to be a fortunate event. Additionally, life evolved by adapting to the environment, not the other way around. It is thus irresponsible, at best, to contend that inanimate objects or processes always seem to gravitate towards the most ‘favorable consequence.’ “The fundamental premise of the Fifth Way, which suggests inanimate things and processes are acting towards an intelligent end, is indefensible.”13 Initially, the fifth way argument seems to be rational and persuasive but the suggestion contains several imperfections which have led to critics of its credibility by Eighteenth Century philosophers Immanuel Kant and David Hume. One of Hume’s most persuasive arguments involved the philosophical question; if a person believes that God absolutely exists because of the orderly way that things behave, then why can’t this ‘reasoning’ apply to the universe itself, that it contains similar attributes as God? Hume was simply pointing out that nothing is certain unless it can be proven by scientific methodologies. No one knows the vast secrets of the universe or of God and cannot pretend to be certain of anything relating to either complex subject. Contemporary religious theorist John Hick argues that because the world has many orderly qualities this provides indisputable evidence that it was of intelligent design, but he conceded that “we neither can we prove nor disprove God’s existence.”14 According to Hick, in direct opposition to Hume, people can acknowledge the existence of God as a basic fact. The belief that a supreme being is factual does not need explanation in terms of anything more definitive than what is presently known. From this reasoning, it can be surmised that reality is simply a perception, defined by the individual. People can “rest in the thought of an eternal and infinite self-existent,” Hick hypothesizes. “Hence it is both logically permissible and a very natural view that if the existence of the universe, as an ordered cosmos, is ultimately explicable or intelligible it must be so in virtue of its dependence upon an eternal self-existent reality which is of the same order as conscious mind.”15 Hick concluded, after offering what he thought to be credible opposing opinions in an effort to find a kind of balance, “It seems, then, that the universe maintains its inscrutable ambiguity. Any realistic analysis of religious belief and experience, and any realistic defense of the rationality of religious conviction, must therefore start from this situation of systematic ambiguity.”16 In his Fifth Way argument, Aquinas believed that empirical evidence of an orderly world and universe was sufficient to prove the existence of God. This is a position that has been strongly challenged by modern scientists as well as the mentioned philosophers. The science of today has provided everyone with a broad range of extraordinary theories regarding physics and the universe. These concepts have given support to those that would encourage discussion regarding the existence of God. The concept of quantum mechanics and disorder in the universe is a hypothesis that is well recognized among scientists. This ambiguity of nature due to the findings in quantum mechanics doles a lethal setback to the concept of a ‘grand designer.’ However, the hypothesis of disorder does not totally disregard God and can be used both for and against other definitions of God. “In what sense is the concept of God different to the concept of a quark, or the concept of a photon? God is only known through inference, analogous to the way we ‘know’ quarks. The person claiming a religious experience has indeed experienced something, yet must take a step of faith in order to make that something God.”17 Those who have considered Aquinas’ fifth way have recognized that this argument does not answer the compelling question, what of evil? In his book ‘Evil and the Evidence for God: The Challenge of John Hick’s Theology,’ Douglas Geivett examines, among other aspects, the characteristics of redemption. This promise of everlasting life is one of the, if not the most important, facets of the Christian Church and its teachings. According to Geivett, the argument articulated by Hick and other Christian theorists presents the ‘problem of evil.’ If an all-powerful being exists that dictates the movements of the heavens and earth, why then does this entity allow evil? Biblical scholars deflect the question by surmising, “the existence of evil itself does not present inconsistencies with a concurrent belief in the existence of God” and two, “The character of God is conceived in such a way as to mitigate the difficulty that the reality of evil would otherwise pose.”18 If either of these reasonings are embraced, the plausible dilemma that evil presents is subjugated to a ‘solved mystery’ in one’s mind not to be considered regardless of an individual’s ultimate conception of a divine being. Most Christians are unwilling to entertain thoughts of the obvious inconsistencies. “The Christian believer must not deny the reality of evil for then, the redemption aspect of Christianity would be entirely superfluous.”19 The search for God is one of the most important issues of life and it seems entirely rational to consider God, in any dialogue regarding his existence, as simply a concept. In any case, there is no accurate method by which to describe God. Until the mid-nineteenth century, creation by God was the only explanation available or tolerated. Aquinass Fifth Way appeals to the existence of order and apparent purpose in the universe, and argues that the best explanation of this order is that the natural world was designed by an intelligent being but with modern science and philosophy, those that argue for intelligent design now have a credible, competing explanation. Endnotes 1 Murphy, Bruce. Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. (4th Ed.). New York: Collins, 1996, p. 42. 2 Miller, Edward. God and Reason. (2nd Ed.). New York: Prentice Hall, 1994, p. 44. 3 Aquinas, Thomas. Aquinas’ Summa Theologica: A Concise Translation. Timothy McDermott (Ed.). Notre Dam, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1989. 4 Miller, (1994), p. 44. 5 Aquinas, (1989). 6 Miller, (1994), p. 44. 7 Aquinas, (1989). 8 Miller, (1994), p. 44. 9 Aquinas, (1989). 10 Miller, (1994), p. 44. 11 Aquinas, (1989). 12 Jones, W.T. & Fogelin, Robert J. A History of Western Philosophy: II The Medieval Mind. (2nd Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1969, p. 218. 13 Ibid, p. 222. 14 Hick, John. Philosophy of Religion. (4th Ed.). New York: Prentice Hall, 1990, p. 47. 15 Ibid, p. 50. 16 Ibid, p. 124. 17 Cockshaw, Evan. “Arguing for the Existence of God in the Age of Quantum Indeterminacy.” Quodlibet Journal. Vol. 3, N. 1, Winter 2001. 18 Geivett, R. Douglas. Evil and the Evidence for God: The Challenge of John Hick’s Theology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993, p. 7. 19 Ibid, p. 8. References Aquinas, Thomas. Aquinas’ Summa Theologica: A Concise Translation. Timothy McDermott (Ed.). Notre Dam, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1989. Cockshaw, Evan. “Arguing for the Existence of God in the Age of Quantum Indeterminacy.” Quodlibet Journal. Vol. 3, N. 1, Winter 2001. Geivett, R. Douglas. Evil and the Evidence for God: The Challenge of John Hick’s Theology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993. Hick, John. Philosophy of Religion. (4th Ed.). New York: Prentice Hall, 1990. Jones, W.T. & Fogelin, Robert J. A History of Western Philosophy: II The Medieval Mind. (2nd Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1969. Miller, Edward. God and Reason. (2nd Ed.). New York: Prentice Hall, 1994. Murphy, Bruce. Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. (4th Ed.). New York: Collins, 1996. Read More