Aquinas - 1

These flashcards cover key concepts related to Thomas Aquinas, his work, theological perspectives, and philosophical arguments regarding the existence of God.

Thomas Aquinas

A 13th-century philosopher and theologian known for his influential writings, particularly the Summa Theologica.

Summa Theologica

A comprehensive work by Thomas Aquinas intended to summarize Christian theology; left unfinished.

Theologian

A person who studies the nature of God and religious beliefs.

Presupposition

An underlying assumption that must be accepted for an argument or theory to be valid.

Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and mind.

Atheist

A person who believes that God does not exist.

Skeptic

A person who maintains a doubting attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts.

Fideist

A person who believes that faith is independent of reason and that certain truths must be accepted on faith alone.

Anselm's Argument

An argument posited by Anselm suggesting that understanding the nature of God implies His existence.

Circular Argument

An argument that assumes its conclusion as one of its premises, thus failing to provide proof.

Valid Argument

An argument where, if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Sound Argument

A valid argument with all true premises.

Disjunctive Syllogism

A form of reasoning where one premise is a disjunction (either/or) and the other premises eliminate one of the options.

A priori

Knowledge or justification that is independent of experience.