exam: aquinas Flashcards
Why should anyone study theology?
Leads to the love of God, true human happiness (joy)
Necessary to live theology is necessary nourishment for the human soul
It is what we need to give to others who are starving(love of neighbor)
salvation
According to Aquinas, What is Sacra Doctrina?
The sacred doctrine
The body of truths that are revealed through Christ
What are the main areas of study that Thomas presumes the reader has done already before reading the Summa Theologiae?
Philosophy and all its parts: Aristotle and plato
Then theology: all scripture
Then church history
Then God
Then Man
Then Christ
What is the object of all Theology?
Revelation of whats in gods mind
What we know is by gods choice and it is limited by him
To try and understand God and learn the truth to reach salvation with God
How is Sacra Doctrina “nobler” than all other sciences?
In three ways:
Greater certitude (more sure bcs it comes from God)
Its subject matter is worth more
Its end = union with God
What does “argument from authority” mean? When is the “argument from authority” the strongest argument?
It is not a matter of argument itself (objection)
argument from authority is based on who says it (God is the highest authority)
Strongest when talking about incarnation
Weakest when it is not about God
We learn this through the apostles that walked and spoke with Jesus
-Does Not argue the proof of principles, which is the articles of faith, but from them it goes to prove something else–The Apostles & Resurrection
If Aquinas is not trying to “prove” the truths of the faith, what is he trying to do with all of this “argumentation”?
Trying to show that God exists, resurrection and addresses atheism
Get what we know from the articles of faith
Why does the Holy Spirit use metaphors and analogies in Scripture?
It helps us understand spiritual things through physical/material things
This is the way God has chosen to reveal the truths to us
Its not supposed to be easy
What do we mean by “revelation”?
Gods word manifesting and communicating divine knowledge
The way god reveals truths to humans
What are the 5 senses of Scripture that Aquinas assumes we know about?
SAMAL
Literal
-This is the straightforward, historical, or direct meaning of the text — what the words signify directly. Nothing false can be in this sense
Spiritual: Derived from interpreting the text in light of Christian beliefs and truths beyond the literal meaning
-Allegorical: reveals how events in Scripture point to Christ & Church
-Moral: how the text guides ethical behavior and actions
-Anagogical: relates to ultimate destiny, particularly the afterlife, heaven, or the spiritual journey toward God
How is the Trinity revealed to us? (can you think of specific instances in Scripture where the Trinity is revealed?)
The trinity is reveled to us through the actions and words of Jesus christ
This is told through the apostles who walked and spoke with and told the truths that were given by him
What are examples of “effects of God” that we study in order to come to know God Himself?
Creation is a direct effect of God, and all of nature represents God since he created it. We are also apart of His creation.
What does it mean to be “self-evident”?
Cannot doubt it
Is the existence of God “self-evident”?
No, if it was self evident no one would ever be able to doubt it
God IS NOT self-evident because people do not accept him
God existing IS self-evident in itself, but not to us
God is self-evident to himself and to believers
God is not self-evident to non believers
What are the two extremes that Aquinas is avoiding in answering the question concerning God’s existence being self-evident (according to Kreeft)?
Knowledge of God is naturally implanted in us
God is truth itself so He is self evident (there is no way to prove that he is the truth)
Extreme Skepticism: denies the possibility of knowing anything about God or existence itself, makes it seem like God is too much to understand
Extreme of Unqualified Certainty: asserts that God’s existence is immediately and inherently obvious to everyone
gives us some important principles for Theology: “______ presupposes _____ _____, even as grace presupposes ______, and perfection supposes ______ ______ ____ ___ ______”
faith
natural knowledge
nature
something that can be perfected
In what way can it be demonstrated that God exists? (When we demonstrate the existence of God, how do we proceed?)
Yes by philosophy and reason which is by faith
Demonstrate:
A priori: know the essence of thing through knowing the cause
A posteriori: from knowledge of the effects (what we can do); essence of cause by the effects; essence is unknown
Explain each of the 5 ways that Aquinas shows God’s existence as reasonable.
- Motion: I’m choosing this one to explain
Everything is in motion (observable)
Every motion is caused by something else (potential/actuality)
An infinite regress of movers is impossible. (cannot go to infinity)
Therefore, there must be a first unmoved mover. (think of dominos)
This unmoved mover is what we understand to be God.
For example, a ball moves because someone kicks it. However, there cannot be an infinite chain of movers; there must be a “first unmoved mover” that set everything else in motion. This unmoved mover, Aquinas argues, is God. Aquinas argues that this first mover must be pure actuality (having no potentiality, only actuality), because if it had potentiality, it would need something else to actualize it, which would contradict it being the first. Since God is pure actuality, He is the source of all motion and change in the universe without being dependent on anything else. - Efficient Causes:
Everything has a cause, must be caused by another, must be an uncaused cause - Being Perfection:
Taken from Plato, Gradation to be found in things - Necessary Being:
There must be a necessary being that has always existed and from which all contingent beings derive existence. Aquinas identifies this necessary being as God. - Intelligent Design:
Think of an arrow & finality (made for a specific end!)
The arrow user knows the arrows end, but the actual arrow does not know its end.
Natural order implies a directing intelligence
What are the philosophical presuppositions behind such a demonstration?
That you know the effect exists, but you cannot be entirely true what/who was the cause (lawnmower analogy)
when an effect is better known to us than its cause, we proceed to the knowledge of the cause
from every effect the existence of its proper cause can be demonstrated so long as its effects are better known to us
if the effects exist, the cause must pre-exist
What are the only 2 objections that Aquinas grants to the existence of God?
evil
nature(science)
And how does Aquinas answer each of them?
Evil: by explaining that God allows evil to exist to bring about a greater good. Since God is the greatest good, he allowed evil to exist and through that it is produced good must go back to the original cause other than reason or will
Nature: by asserting that natural causes ultimately depend on a first cause, which he identifies as God, who is the source of all existence and order. Nature and science can explain the mechanisms of the world, but not the underlying reason for existence itself.
What are the three truths that must be known about the divine God as soon as we establish that fact that He exists?
how He is not
how He is known by us
how He is named
What does it mean to say that God is altogether simple?
His essence and existence are the same, he is perfection
He is not composed of anything, he does not have a body, no motion, no parts
What does it mean to say that God is perfect?
He lacks nothing; he is existence itself
How is it that creatures are like God?
We are like God in that we can know and love
We just don’t have it as perfect as he does
God alone is essentially Good (good by His essence). We have goodness by ____
God
List some aspects of Goodness. (PotentialHigherDesirableness)
His essence is perfectly good
same as being (existence is good)
presents aspect of desirableness
go after higher and higher goods (lack things we are going for)
extends to potential beings (nonexistent)
aspect of an end (final cause which is God for us)
beauty is when we perceive harmony about truth and goodness
Whatever is desired, somehow shares in the nature of _______
god/goodness
How can we explain that man naturally desires to see God?
Our intellect desires the truth, our intellect is meant to “see” God
Our will desires the good
Leads to God
Are creatures good by their very essence?
No, we are not good by our own essence, we are good by participating in His goodness
How is it that all creatures desire God, even unconsciously?
By desiring whatever perfects our nature
We are moving towards perfection, so if my nature wants what is good, thats why we want God
What is the most proper name for God?
He who is
What are the 5 categories of things (predicables) that we can say about God?
I AM: most comprehensively expresses His essence/being
What God is NOT: immutable, unchangeable
What God is LIKE: good, powerful, wise
Relationship: savior, messiah, father
Mere metaphors: rock, lion
What is wrong with saying that we can know by natural reason that there are 3 Persons in God?
God had to reveal it to us, we cannot know the Trinity by natural reason
Anyone who tries to prove the Trinity by natural reasons derogates from faith in 2 ways:
1. Faith is of things that appear not
2. States reasons that are not reasonable
-Thats why there was mistakes made about the divine nature; cannot know it by natural reason- we deduce that with thinking; we know it by effects of the cause; faith is not unreasonable
Why is it necessary to have knowledge of the Three Persons in God?
For the right idea of creation
For the salvation of the human race to join him in his love
What is the correct translation of liberum arbitrium?
Free choice
Faculty of intellect & will to choose
Why does Aquinas consider the end first?
end=goal, purpose
= union with god
In what does this image of God (in man) consist?
Intellect and will
Free choice and self movement in the will and intellect
Why am I insisting on the correct translation of liberum arbitrium?
Free will is modern & only talks about the will, not with the intellect
Free choice is the capacity of reason & will to choose, intellect is not left out
Causes misconception of freedom in our will
Only blessed in heaven have free will (true
freedom)
We have freedom of choice and to choose the goodness of God
What constitutes man’s “free choice” (liberum arbitrium)?
Faculty to choose through intellect and will
The capacity of reason & will to choose, the intellect is not left out
What is a natural appetite?
Acts of man that are unwilled
What does it mean “to act for an end”?
We chose our end that hopefully leads to god by choosing the good
What is the difference between human acts and acts of man?
Human act: consciously chosen that proceeds from the will and intellect; rational appetite
Acts of man: anything unwilled; not by choice; natural appetite
In Reply to objection 1, Thomas says, “although the end be last in the order of execution, it is first in the order of the agent’s _________”
intention
Is there one last end of all human life? (an end that is true for all human beings because they all have human nature)
All men DO have the same last end
We all have the same thing which we were made for, we all share the same human nature, we are made for HAPPINESS!
What is a rational appetite?
Human acts that are freely chosen
The will itself desiring some kind of good
What are the two ways that a thing tends toward its end?
- By Inclination
- By Knowledge & Will (Deliberate Choice)
What is the object of the intellect? What are the proper operations of the intellect?
Object: wants the truth & in order to choose the good, you need the intellect
Operations:
Abstraction, Judgement and Reasoning
What is the object of the will? (ad 3) What are the proper operations of the will?
Object: wants what is good & has a natural appetite to desire it
Operations: Desire anything that is good & Delight in it once the good is obtained
Why can man NOT have a variety of last ends to choose from?
Because the last end, or ultimate goal, must be one and all-encompassing.
If one could have a variety of last ends, it would imply that each end provides only partial fulfillment, which contradicts the very notion of a last end. Only one, all-sufficient end can bring about complete happiness.
Most common mistake is us thinking wealth or honor is our end, but those things will never fully satisfy us because they don’t last & will not fully satisfy us
What is man’s last end (his final end/goal/purpose)?
From the point of view of Theology: God
From the point of view of Philosophy: Happiness, or whatever it is which completely fulfills mans desire & nothing else left to be desired (must last forever)
Does one need to be thinking of the last end at every step of the way in order for the last end to be a cause of his actions?
No, because ones last end guides a persons actions implicitly even when its not explicitly in ones mind
The modern (and medieval) objector says, “But all men cannot have the same end. Why then do we all choose to do different things in life?” What is Aquinas’ answer?
Even though people choose different paths, they are all ultimately seeking fulfillment or happiness. Ultimate goal remains the same for all
Another modern (and medieval) objector says, “Just because we all have the same nature doesn’t mean we all have the same end. Everyone has different preferences. How does Aquinas answer this one? What is happiness?
Different preferences represent varied interpretations of what will bring happiness
Some people get married or some people become ballerinas (small ends), but doing these things will slowly bring them up the ladder
What are the 5 things most commonly mistaken as that in which man’s happiness consists?
Wealth, Honor, Pleasure, Power, & Goods of the Body
It is not possible that man’s happiness consists in honor, why not?
Man’s happiness cannot consist in honor because honor is external to the person and depends on others & doesn’t last forever
What is happiness, considered philosophically?
Happiness is the perfect and complete fulfillment of a person’s desires.
What are the main reasons why man’s happiness can NOT consist in wealth, honor, fame or glory, power, goods of the body, pleasure, goods of the soul, or any created good?
Can never satisfy you bcs they don’t last (this question is repetitive)
From where does Aquinas get most of this teaching?
Aristotle
What is the two-fold aspect of every end, especially of man’s last end?
Objective aspect: the thing itself (cupcake, God, ballerina)
Subjective aspect: enjoyment of that thing (subjective happiness)
What is the only thing that can completely satisfy the intellect and the will of man?
God
Why must we consider human acts? (prologue)
Bcs they are the means by which humans achieve their ultimate end
What does it mean to be voluntary (art. 1)
Consciously choosing, sufficient use of intellect & will
What moves the will?
Intellect
Perceives if something is good or not
Will
You desire to desire, you can move your own will
God
Can make you desire something
The act of the will is two-fold: to wish (desire, want), and to command. But the will can “suffer violence.” In what way can the will “suffer violence”?
Interior: desire or want; no one can make you want what you don’t want
Exterior: choices; violence can be done; a want is prevented by the choice
In what way is it impossible for the will to suffer violence? (art. 4)
Nobody can actually touch my will on the interior level of desire
When God moves the will, why is this not “violence”?
It is not violence when god moves the will because he can do not violence or evil. He guided our will to what is good for us and he can change my passions, my sense, and my body
God does not override our will, makes our will go towards perfect, and does not move it towards sin.
List the 4 ways that a human act can be involuntary (that is, not willed). (summarizing articles 5-8)
Violence: somebody/ something that prevents me from carrying out my will
Against my will
Physical force
Ignorance: don’t have the truth in my intellect pertaining to a particular act
Vincible (copable): could/should have known but didn’t know; is responsible
Invincible (incapable): I’m not able to be at fault and there is no way I could have known; not responsible
Fear:
some fears: normal, so not just any fear
Extreme fear: can cause involuntary acts; can be different for people; inaction/action involuntary
Concupiscence: passions tend to disobey reason; passionate desire that goes against reason or out of control
Due to original sin
Rare
Acts can be involuntary- extreme; anger blocks intellect/ will
Most of the time I am responsible
What are the “muscles” that help the intellect and the will to choose a true good (make a good act)?
Virtues are muscles exercised to move toward the true good
