Aquinas - 1

Thomas Aquinas

• Lived in the 13th century; influential thinker and theologian.

• Authored a substantial work, "Summa Theologica" (not fully completed).

• Official theologian of the Catholic Church.

• Known for his clarity and concise arguments.

Philosophy vs. Theology

• Theology operates within frameworks defined by certain presuppositions about God and scripture.

• Philosophy questions the validity of these presuppositions and does not assume the existence of God or religious texts.

• Both fields can coexist; Aquinas exemplifies this integration as a philosopher and theologian.

Proof of God's Existence

• Common responses to the question:

  • Atheist: "No proof exists for God’s existence"; argues for inability to prove non-existent entities.

  • Skeptic: "Knowledge of God’s existence is beyond human understanding"; maintains that one cannot prove it.

  • Fideist: "Faith alone is sufficient"; suggests belief without proof is acceptable.

• Counterpoint: Each position should be critically examined; attempts to prove God's existence should still be made.

Arguments for God's Existence (Thomas Aquinas)

• Aquinas presents five ways to argue for God’s existence.

• Reference to Anselm’s "a priori" argument: God’s existence can be deduced from the nature of God itself.

Evaluating Arguments

• Arguments can be valid but circular, questionable, or unsound.

  • Example of a circular argument: "The Bible says God exists"; presupposes God’s existence.

  • Valid but fails due to questionable premise: "If Nixon was impeached, then God exists; Nixon was impeached; therefore, God exists"; false premise.

  • Soundness is key: Requires both validity and all true premises to accept the argument.

Next Steps

• Focus on Aquinas' five arguments for the existence of God to find a convincing proof.