St. Thomas Aquinas On The Existence Of God - 1338 Words

During the Medieval Period of History, philosophers shifted their focus primarily to proving the existence of God, as well as other religious tenets they held. Two Saints of the Catholic Church, St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, developed their own respective proofs for the existence of God. These proofs have gained fame over the subsequent centuries and still face debate and comparison today. Although both St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas both offer proofs for the existence of God, the proofs differ drastically due to the distinct argumentative methods utilized by each author, as well as the differing overall strengths and weaknesses each respective proof yields. To begin comparing the proofs, one must first state them. St. Anselm’s proof is most clearly described by defining God as that than which no greater can be conceived (Melchert, 260). With this definition in mind, one can contemplate St. Augustine’s â€Å"Great Chain of Being† and realize that existenc e gives something more being, or more greatness, than non-existence (Melchert, 261). It follows then, based off of Anselm’s definition and Augustine’s picture of the Great Chain of Being, that God must exist because he is defined as that than which no greater can be conceived, and we have an idea of God, which would be greater if it actually existed. Anselm’s definition of God and Augustine’s theory of the Great Chain of Being are the only requirements for Anselm’s proof of the existence of God to work. St. ThomasShow MoreRelatedSt. Thomas Aquinas On The Existence Of God1048 Words   |  5 PagesSt. Thomas Aquinas is considered to be one of the greatest minds of the western world as well as one of the greatest theologians. In his work Summa Theologica, which he revised many times over the course of his life, he explored the existence of God, and there are essentially five ways in which St. Thomas Aquinas argues the existence of God. The first way is the argument from change, the second way is the argument from causation, the third argument is the argument from possibility and necessity,Read MoreAn Examination Into The Respective Proofs Of St. Aquinas1288 Words   |  6 PagesProofs of St. Anselm and St. Aquinas During the Medieval Period, philosophers shifted their focus primarily to proving the existence of God, as well as other religious tenets. Two Saints of the Catholic Church, St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, developed their own respective proofs for the existence of God. These proofs have gained fame over the subsequent centuries and still face debate and comparison today. Although both St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas offer proofs for the existence of God, theRead More Thomas Aquinas Work to Prove the Existence of God Essays1013 Words   |  5 PagesChristian, Thomas Aquinas naturally believed in God, but he wanted to prove Gods existence to those who could not accept things on faith alone. As a result he made five proofs, which he claims, prove the existence of God. With each proof there is always a beginning, a starting point, Aquinas claims it must be God that is the beginning of each. The first proof does not do complete justice to Aquinas’s claim that God exist, wh ile the fifth proof could be used alone to prove Gods existence. OneRead MoreSt. Thomas Aquinas Essay823 Words   |  4 PagesSt. Thomas Aquinas, was a Dominican monk, who generally one of the greatest Scholastic writers of all times. He used ancient philosophy to prove religious propositions. One of the ancient philosophers that St. Thomas Aquinas used to prove religious facts was Aristotle. One of the greatest works that Aristotle did was to prove that god really exists. St. Thomas Aquinas used the forms that Aristotle and Plato used to prove the same philosophical question, does god really exist? St. Thomas AquinasRead MoreThe Lifelong Goal Of Saint Thomas Aquinas1692 Words   |  7 PagesRyan Comolli Study Of St. Thomas Aquinas Research Paper 11/23/2014 The lifelong goal of Saint Thomas Aquinas was to clearly elaborate the independence of philosophy and theology, but at the same time show their symbiotic relationship with each other. Throughout his life Aquinas was known as a theologian but many of his works carry strong philosophical undertones as well. The beauty of theology is it can enlighten us through its leap of faith. Philosophy was required to precede theology. Read MoreThe Existence Of God s Existence1339 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of God. The existence of God is one of the most sought out topic that is frequently inquired. Is there really a God or is God merely a concept humans created to explain the unexplainable? And if God does exist, what makes him different from the rest of us? A well-known philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas, introduced five proofs including the Cosmological Arguments of God’s existence, as well as explained some divine qualities that are associated with God. The nature of God’s existence is oftenRead MoreProposed Seven Philosophers On The Existence Of God And Their Development Of These Ideas1413 Words   |  6 Pagesas follows: (1) Socrates, (2) Plato, (3) Aristotle, (4) Francis Bacon, (5) St. Augustine, (6) Thomas Aquinas, and (7) Rene DesCartes. The specific three I want to focus on being; St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes. Lastly, I will proceed to relate their ideas on the existence of God and their development of these ideas. St. Augustine s epistemology is rationalization. In his argument for the existence of God, he is referring to varying degrees of perfection otherwise know as, an OntologicalRead MoreCan We Prove God Exists? Essay562 Words   |  3 Pagesalways been eager to discuss the existence of God. Some philosophers, such as St Thomas Aquinas, and St Anselm, believe that we have proven that God exists through our senses, logic, and experience. Others such as Soren Kierkegaard, and Holbach, feel that we will never have the answer to this question due to our human limitations, and reason. The believer tends to rely on faith for his belief, and claim they do not need proof in order to believe in the Gods existence. The atheist however, tends toRead MoreThe Natural Law Theory Essay examples1037 Words   |  5 Pagesonly be obtained by following the natural law theory. God created a set of laws as a supreme guide for humans to live life, like any law these laws were created to ensure wellbeing fo r everyone. The laws he created are the civil law, the natural law and the divine law God created them from a law much superior than the rest, one which only God himself has the knowledge of, the eternal law. Humans actively participate in the eternal law of God by using reason in conformity with the Natural Law to discernRead MoreAquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals1153 Words   |  5 PagesAquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals While St. Thomas Aquinas established himself as the New Aristotle of the 13th century, Dante Alighieri established himself the new Virgil. The two men made an immense impact in their respective fields (poetry and philosophy). Yet surprisingly, the two share common ideals. In each of their respective literary and philosophical views, they establish the importance of the relationship between nature and grace. In Dante’s Inferno the unique relationship of