Thomas Aquinas on the Proof of the Existence of God - Report Example

Thomas Aquinas on the Proof of the Existence of God Outline i. Introduction ii. Body a. Argument from motion 1. Unique force keeps things in motion 2. Moved things lack the ability of moving themselves b. Argument from efficient causes 1. Nothing exists of itself 2. Some led to the causation of existence c. Argument from possibility and necessity 1. Beings originated from something 2. There exists a being that is very important d. Argument from gradation of being 1. Beings vary in characteristics 2. The characters of beings are associated with something e. Argument from design 1. Everything in the universe was a product of somebody’s thinking 2. Everything in the universe is directed to a specific goal by one being iii. Conclusion Introduction with a thesis statement Many questions have been raised about the existence of God. This is as a result of Him being invisible to the living. The running and occurrence of many incidents in the world and the universe at large have been raising explorers’ eyebrows. Researchers have tried by all means to come up with theories concerning the existence of supernatural forces in order to explain the incidents and existence of life. Some of the researchers have also proposed many ideas concerning the existence of God. Thomas Aquinas is one of the persons that believe in God’s existance. In justifying his belief, he came up with five ways that can prove God’s existence. His five ways that prove the existence of God include an argument from motion, argument from efficient causes, argument from possibility and necessity, argument from gradation of being, and argument from design. In connection to Aquinas’ arguments, the paper will provide detailed information on how the five ways prove that God exists. Many questions have been raised about the existence of God. This is as a result of Him being invisible to the living. The running and occurrence of many incidents in the world and the universe at large have been raising explorers’ eyebrows. Researchers have tried by all means to come up with theories concerning the existence of supernatural forces in order to explain the incidents and existence of life. Some of the researchers have also proposed many ideas concerning the existence of God. Thomas Aquinas is one of the persons that believe in God’s existence. In justifying his belief, he came up with five ways that can prove God’s existence. His five ways that prove the existence of God include an argument from motion, argument from efficient causes, argument from possibility and necessity, argument from gradation of being, and argument from design1. In connection to Aquinas’ arguments, the paper will provide detailed information on how the five ways prove that God exists. Argument from motion To prove that God exists, one needs to consider the movement of sensible things. Although the argument from motion has diverse historical explanation and opinions, it is evident that it proves that God exists. To some people, the argument from motion may seem at first glance like anything that easily manifests God’s existence, as He is known by Christians, exists. The outside structure of the prima via is however taken by Aquinas from Aristotle2. Just like Aristotle, Aquinas believed that there is a unique force in the universe that keeps things in motion. In justifying his argument, he claimed that people have senses that enable them prove that some things in the sensible world are in motion because of a certain unique force3. He further claimed that things move only when the potential motion changes to actual motion. According to him, only an actual motion has the potential to change a potential motion into a real motion. He also believed that there is a first movement which is not influenced to move by anything at all, and this movement is understood by majority of the people as God. Aquinas’ reasoning therefore is derived from the doctrine of act and potency. Anything that is being moved does not have the ability of having itself act towards the direction it is being moved. “So in a series of moved movements, none would have the act of itself.4” Therefore, one can deduce that nothing can be in both actual and potential motion at once; something else must be enhancing the movement of each thing, and that something according to Aquinas must be God. Argument from effectual causes The world is dominated with a series of effectual causes of things. Of all the things that exist in the world, nothing exists preceding to itself. From this asserting, one can deduce then nothing is the causing agent of itself. According to Aquinas, if there was no previous efficient cause nothing was to exist in the universe. Therefore, something must have led to the existence of series of things in the universe. In justifying this, Aquinas asserts that “the series of efficient causes cannot extend ad infinitum into the past, for then there would be nothing existing now.5” From his assertion therefore, it is crucial for humans to accept the existence of a first efficient cause, and that cause must be what majority of the people refer to as God. When Aquinas argues from effect to cause, “the effect takes the place of a definition of the cause in the proof that the cause exists; and this especially if the cause is God.6” According to him, the understanding of the use of the name in referring to a thing plays a very significant role; it enables one to prove the existence of that thing. In justifying this, he claimed that the names of God originate from different effects. Since effects have the potential to give comprehensive knowledge of their respective causes, it is evident that causes exist. Therefore, the existence of God’s effects proves that God exists. Reduction argument (argument based on possibility and necessity) Nature constitutes of many things. It constitutes of things that as possible to be as well as those are impossible to be. In nature also, there are beings that come into being as well as go out of being for example, contingent beings. In assuming that every being is a contingent being, one can end up concluding that there is a time the contingent being did not exist. Therefore, it will be very impossible for any person to claim that beings always exist. In reasoning this way, one can concur with Aquinas that “there could have been a time when no things existed.7” At that time when nothing existed if there was nothing that had the power of bringing things into existence, then nothing would be in existence today. According to Aquinas, the existence of infinity God led to the occurrence of finite beings. To justify his claim, Aquinas claimed that “as evil is to good, so infinite is to finite.” In other words, infiniteness of God correlates with finiteness of beings. From this argument therefore one can conclude that not every being can be a contingent being. There must be a being that exists of its own importance, and that being does not rely on any other being for its existence, instead it causes the existence of other beings. The being that exists of its own and causes the existence of others must be God who every man speaks about. Therefore, it is evident that God exists, and it is because of His existence that the world and everything within it exists. Argument from gradation of Being Aquinas believes that all finite beings are the products of their very being. Their variation however is as a result of them being of different kinds of beings. In justifying his point about the variation of beings, Aquinas gave the example of God and humans. According to him, God is an infinite being whereas all creatures are finite8. Since God as infinite is Pure Actuality, all creatures consist of actuality and potentiality. From this argument, one can deduce that all beings differ from God because they have limited potentiality. As a result of variation in potentiality, human beings portray variation in characteristics. Thus, existence of beings is associated with some unique characteristics; there are beings that are better than others as well as beings that are worse than others. In most occasions, predication of things or situations depends on the reference. For instance, in claiming that something is hotter there must be something else which is nearly hotter or hottest. The maximum reference point of the hotness must be the causing agent of the hotness. In connection to this, Aquinas asserts that “the maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus.9” Therefore, one can depict from his argument that there is something that is more of a being, and that being must have led to the existence of beings. Additionally, Aquinas associated some portrayed characteristics with existence of God. For instance, he argued that the goodness and perfection portrayed by humans must be as a result of God. Thus, it is evident that Aquinas is one of the people that successively managed to prove God’s existence by gradation of beings. Argument from design In real life situation, every natural body works towards some specific goal, and does not do that by chance. It is also evident that most natural things do not have knowledge. A good example is an arrow; an arrow picks and reaches its target because of some influence. The arrow is directed by an archer to a specific direction. Although it lacks knowledge, it achieves its goals because of the influence it gets from something intelligent. The systematic movement of natural bodies is also as a result of influence from something. For instance, the interchanging of the moon and the sun as a result of revolution and rotation of the earth is not by chance. Additionally, the revolution of planets around the sun might have ended up into a collision if there was nothing guiding their goals. In other words, “natural bodies are operated in accordance with a plan.10” From these examples, it appears that the bodies are operated frequently in the same manner always by what is Highest. It is also evident that they do not reach their destination by chance, but because of a specific purpose. Just like a human being directs an arrow to a specific direction so that the arrow can achieve a specific goal, God directs every being on earth so as to achieve a specific goal. He owns everything in the universe because He created everything with purpose, and as a result of that He directs everything to a specific direction so as to achieve a specific goal. Therefore, there exists an intelligent being from whom all beings are directed on what to do, and that being must be what we refer to as God. Conclusion In conclusion, Aquinas believes in existence of God. According to him, the motions of beings, effectual causes as well as gradation of beings prove that God exists. He also believes that the possibility and necessity of things as well as the design of everything on earth prove that God exists. Aquinas manages also to link his thoughts with daily occurrences making the existence of God a fact. Bibliography Aquinas, Thomas, Summa Theologiae: Volume 2, Existence and Nature of God: 1a. 2-11. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Badu-Yeboah, Stephen, Proof of the Existence of God. New York: WestBow Press, 2013. Bauerschmidt, Frederick, Thomas Aquinas: Faith, Reason, and Following Christ Christian Theology in Context. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Elders, Leo, The Philosophical Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. New York: Brill Archive, 1990. Geisler, Norman, Thomas Aquinas: An Evangelical Appraisal. New York: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2003. Kenny, Anthony, The Five Ways: St. Thomas Aquinas Proofs of Gods Existence. New York: Routledge, 2003. Kohanski, Alexander, The Greek Mode of Thought in Western Philosophy. New York: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1984. Mackey, Louis, Peregrinations of the Word: Essays in Medieval Philosophy. New York: University of Michigan Press, 1997. Owens, Joseph, Saint Thomas Aquinas on the Existence of God: The Collected Papers of Joseph Owens. New York: SUNY Press, 1980. Wippel, John, The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas: From Finite Being to Uncreated Being. New York: CUA Press, 2000. Read More