Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
motion. These other objects, in turn, was put into motion by still
such causes clearly does not square with our observation, and so there
be, as they come into existence and pass out of existence. Such things
could not always exist, though, because something that could possibly
not exist at some time actually does not exist at some time. Thus, if
exist even now, since everything that exists requires for its
that nothing exists even now. Therefore, not all beings are merely
Some are more or less good, true, noble, and so forth. Such gradations
teaches, things that are greatest in truth are also greatest in being.
objects act toward the best possible purpose, even though these
objects are not aware of doing so. It is clear that these objects do
Having presented these proofs for the existence of God, Aquinas goes
the nature of angels, demons, and the work done on the individual six
it, so too must motion be passed from one object to another. Rigidly
infinitely regressive series and thus with the need for a first
unmoved mover to set the entire series into motion. Aquinas is saying
that every effect must have a cause. Aquinas reasons by analogy that,
itself but every object is caused, so too must the world as a whole
defines possible beings as those that can either exist or not exist,
must, and thus do, exist. All objects in the world are possible beings
and thus can either exist or not exist. Aquinas reasons that, since
time, then they did in fact not exist at some time. Yet, Aquinas
continues, if they did not exist at some time, then we are at a loss
to explain the obvious existence of the world now, since all that
there must be an absolutely necessary being, that is, one that (a)
must necessarily exist and (b) thus owes its existence to no other
being.
Argument 4 is unique among the five Arguments in that it considers not
true, beautiful, and noble, are measured and from which those
something good implies the existence of something best that not only
measured but also even causes the good thing to exist. The idea that
Forms essences are the real and true originals of which lesser beings
grand architect, that is, of God. Aquinas is drawing two rather bold
There are strong conceptual ties between and among the first three
considers the cause of the entire world itself. Argument 1 takes the
existence of the world for granted and seeks to account for observable
change in the physical world. Argument 2, on the other hand, does draw
far beyond our possible experience. Thus, the first three Arguments
attempt to force one to accept the proposition that only the existence
of God can account for (1) change in the physical world, (2) the
all things. The cognitive soul has the potential to form principles of
knowledge are not derived from Platonic forms but rather from the mind
though, is not the same as knowledge of our phantasms, for, if the two
types of knowledge were the same, then the taste of honey, for
the perceiver. Rather, the phantasms are the means by which we come to
universals.
things are known only by the intellect. Although only God can know how
and innately in the mind. Aquinas insists that the soul, which
includes the intellect, would have no use for the body if, as Plato
held, all knowledge were derived from the mind alone. Not only does
Aquinas thereby affirm the necessity of the body and reject the notion
Plato in asserting that there is nothing in the mind that was not
first in the senses. At the same time, though, he says that the mind
that is, mental images, that are ultimately derived from sense
The mental images that we form are not universal knowledge itself. If
would be confronted with the problem of how to deal with the ideas
example, to say that honey is both sweet and bitter, but if all
from individual things but require the abstraction that the intellect
Aquinas is thus saying that all knowledge worth the name “knowledge”
is necessarily abstract.
Happiness is the goal of human life, and every human being is on the
and the contemplation of the Divine Essence are thus identical and
inseparable.
happiness. A state of happiness can exist only when the will no longer
seeks anything. Since the will naturally seeks the Divine Essence, it
whereby human nature, in the form of the will, is the efficient cause
possible only in the next life and only works of virtue, that is,
the will achieves its goal, which is happiness, only when it is at one
well as sin, and explains the role of Christ, who mediates between God
and man. The supplement to the Summa, which was added to the Summa
presumably might have incorporated into his great work had he lived to
complete it.