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Lesson 2 - Proofs of God's Existence

St. Thomas Aquinas sets forth five proofs for the existence of God in his work Summa Theologica. The five proofs are: 1) the proof from motion, which argues everything in motion must have a first unmoved mover (God); 2) the proof from causation, arguing every effect must have an efficient cause and there must be a first cause (God); 3) the proof from necessary/contingent beings, stating necessary beings like God are needed to explain contingent beings; 4) the proof from degrees of perfection, arguing standards of perfection require a most perfect being (God); and 5) the proof from design, observing design in nature requires an intelligent designer (God).

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143 views9 pages

Lesson 2 - Proofs of God's Existence

St. Thomas Aquinas sets forth five proofs for the existence of God in his work Summa Theologica. The five proofs are: 1) the proof from motion, which argues everything in motion must have a first unmoved mover (God); 2) the proof from causation, arguing every effect must have an efficient cause and there must be a first cause (God); 3) the proof from necessary/contingent beings, stating necessary beings like God are needed to explain contingent beings; 4) the proof from degrees of perfection, arguing standards of perfection require a most perfect being (God); and 5) the proof from design, observing design in nature requires an intelligent designer (God).

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Peachy Hamster
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Proofs of

God’s
Existence
Aquinas Five Proofs
• St Thomas Aquinas is known to be called the Angelic
Doctor.
• He wrote the Summa Theologica which sets forth five
separate proofs for the existence of God.
• His proofs rely on the world of our experience of what
we can see around us. In these proofs we can see easily
the influence of Aristotle and his doctrine of the four
causes.
Influence from Aristotle
• Taught that man is in pursuit of his end or finality.
Man’s finality or end, his purpose, according to
Aristotle is the good life. He says in general; people
seek not the ways of their ancestors but the good.
• He said that the human being is composed of body
and soul. Human soul is the seat of control, whereas
the body is the instrument. The soul commands the
body on what to do.
Influence from Aristotle
•Living well, therefore is something that
speak of a person’s self-perfections and
self-realization. It is thus the achievement
of man’s ultimate fulfilment. It refers to
excellence of how man can live to the
fullest extent as human being.
5 Proofs of St Thomas Aquinas
1. The Proof from Motion. We observe motion all
around us. Whatever is in motion now was at rest until
moved by something else, and that by something else
and so on. But if there were an infinite series of
movers, all waiting to be moved by something else,
then actual motion could never have got started, and
there would be no motion now. So, there must be a
First Mover which is itself unmoved. This first Mover
we call God.
2. The Proof from Efficient Cause. Everything in the world
has its efficient cause – its maker – and that maker has its
maker, and so on. The coffee table was made by the
carpenter, the carpenter by his or her parents, and on and
on. But if there were just an infinite series of such makers,
the series could never have got started, and therefore be
nothing now. But there is something everything there is.
So, there must have been a first maker, that was not itself
made, and that First maker we call God.
3. The Proof from Necessary Being vs Possible Being.
Possible or contingent beings are those, such as cars and
trees and you and I, whose existence is not necessary. For
all such beings there is a time before they come to be
when they are not yet, and a time after they cease to be
when they are no more. If everything were merely
possible, there would have been a time, long ago, when
nothing had yet come to be. Nothing comes from nothing,
so in that case there would be nothing now. But there is
something now – the world and everything in it – so there
must be at least one necessary being. This necessary being
we call God.
4. The Proof from Degrees of Perfection. We all
evaluate things and people in terms of their being
more or less perfectly true, good, noble and so on. We
have certain standards of how things and people
should be. But we should have no such standards
unless there were some being that is perfect in every
way, something that is the truest, noblest and best.
That most Perfect Being we call God.
5. The Proof from Design. As we look at the world around us, and
ourselves, we see ample evidences of design – the bird’s wing,
designed for the purpose of flight; the human ear, designed for
the purpose of hearing; the natural environment, designed to
support life; and on and on. If there is a design, there must be a
designer. That designer we call God.
• The irony of proving God exists is, to a non-believer it can never
be proven, but to a believer, proof of God can be seen just
about everywhere.
• Of course, if you need to see it to believe it, do you really have
faith?

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