Aquinas / Aristotle five proofs and causes

Argument from cause

Argument from cause

Nothing can be the cause of itself, therefore if we go back far enough, we must get to an uncaused cause.

Argument of design

We can see order and balance (rather than chaos) in the world, even in non-sentient entities, therefore there must be a mind behind the universe

Argument from motion

Nothing can move or change itself but rather all things must be moved or changed by something else, therefore if we go back far enough we must get an "unmoved mover"

Argument from Gradation

We cannot help but judge things by certain standards, therefore there must be some kind of unknown ideal by which we compare everything else in the world (a scale)

Argument Contingency

All things in the universe that exist could also not exist, and are subject to generation and corruption, but something cannot come from nothing so there must be some being that is Existence itself, something not subject to generation and corruption.

aquinas third article

“god is good” He uses the concept of gradation to explain that all things possess goodness to varying degrees, and this hierarchy of goodness points towards a supreme good, which is God.

Material Cause

 The matter from which something is made. (Aristotle)

Formal Cause

shape or form something takes(Aristotle)

efficent cause

The agent that brings about the change or creation(Aristotle)

final cause

 The purpose or goal for which something exists. (Aristotle)