Thomas Aquina Flashcards
How should arguments be evaluated according to Aquinas?
Based on their intended goals, not faulted for proving something different.
What is the key difference between Anselm’s and Aquinas’ approaches to proving God’s existence?
Anselm focuses on God as an absolutely perfect being, while Aquinas focuses on God as the first cause.
What is the key idea of the Argument from Motion (First Way)?
Motion must have a first cause, and this first cause is God.
List the premises of the Argument from Motion.
Objects in the natural world are in motion.
Objects in motion are moved by something else.
A cause must precede its effect.
There cannot be an infinite regress of motion.
Therefore, there must be a first unmoved mover outside the natural world.
This first mover is God.
What is the key idea of the Argument from Causality (Second Way)?
A sequence of causes must have a beginning, and this beginning is God.
List the premises of the Argument from Causality.
Events occur in the natural world.
Every event has a cause.
No event can cause itself.
There cannot be an infinite regress of causes.
There must be a first uncaused cause outside nature.
This uncaused cause is God.
Why does Aquinas argue that an infinite regress of causes is impossible?
If causal chains went infinitely into the past, they would lack a first member, meaning no subsequent events could occur.
Define a contingent being according to the Argument from Contingency (Third Way).
A contingent being is something that exists but could have failed to exist.
What is the key idea of the Argument from Contingency?
Since contingent beings depend on other things to exist, there must be a necessary being that sustains existence—God.
: List the premises of the Argument from Contingency.
Contingent things exist.
Each contingent thing has a time when it does not exist.
If everything were contingent, there would have been a time when nothing existed (“empty time”).
If there was ever a time when nothing existed, nothing would exist now.
But things exist now (so empty time never happened).
Therefore, there must be at least one necessary being that always exists.
This necessary being is God.
What is the key idea of the Argument from Degrees of Perfection (Fourth Way)?
The existence of perfection in degrees suggests a being of ultimate perfection—God.
List the premises of the Argument from Degrees of Perfection.
Objects have properties in varying degrees (e.g., goodness, truth, beauty).
If something has a property to a lesser degree, there must be a maximum of that property (a “maximum exemplar”).
There must be an entity that possesses all properties to the maximum degree.
This maximum being is God.
What is the key idea of the Argument from Design (Fifth Way)?
The order and purpose found in nature suggest an intelligent designer—God.
List the premises of the Argument from Design.
Some objects act toward an end (goal-directed behavior).
Some of these objects do not have minds.
If a mindless object acts toward an end, it must have been designed by something with a mind.
There must be an intelligent being that designed all goal-directed objects.
This intelligent designer is God.
List the questions for reflection based on Aquinas’ arguments.
Why does Aquinas reject infinite causal chains?
Does his argument from contingency adequately prove a necessary being?
Does the argument from degrees require an ultimate perfect being, or could there be another explanation?
Does the argument from design still hold in light of evolution and modern science?
