A SUMMARY ON THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: THE LAST THREE WAYS

            A SUMMARY ON THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: THE LAST THREE WAYS

Thomas Aquinas in his summa theologia posited more ways in proving the existence of God. There are actually five ways in proving the existence of God, but in the five ways are more concerned in the last three ways. The third way is taken from possibility and necessity. We find in nature things that are possible to be and not to be, since they are found to be generated and to corrupt, and consequently they are possible to be and not to be. Therefore, some beings are possible to be but not all beings are merely possible, but there must exist something the existence of which is necessary. God is postulated as the being existing of itself its own necessity, and not receiving it from another, but rather causing in others their necessity.

Thomas in his Summa formulated his argument from motion which constitutes a bridge to the argument from contingency. This argument starts from motion and substantial change, because it takes this motion or change as a sign of a radical instability of all changeable things, such that they do not have existence from themselves but depend constantly on a necessary being to keep them in existence and operation.

The fourth way is taken from the gradation to be found in things. All beings are not of the same capacity, there are there are some more and some less good, true, noble and the like. but "more" and "less" are predicated of different things, according as they resemble in their different ways something which is the maximum, as a thing is said to be hotter according as it more nearly resembles that which is hottest;Now the maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus; as fire, which is the maximum of heat, is the cause of all hot things. Therefore there must also be something which is to all beings the cause of their being, goodness and every other perfection; and this we call God.

The fifth way is taken from the governance of the world. things which lack intelligence, such as natural bodies, act for an end, and it is either they are acting always, or nearly always, in the same way, in obtaining the best result. Hence it is plain that designedly, do they achieve their end. Now whatever lacks intelligence cannot move towards an end, unless it be directed by some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence; as the arrow is shot to its mark by the archer. Therefore some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and this being we call God.

The fact that things that have no intelligence act for intelligible purposes defined in their natures points to an intelligence that designed their natures and keeps them operating according to the intelligent purpose he has set for them. The argument from design is based on three quite distinct phenomena: The design found in composition and form of things, particularly complex things. The design found in the operation of natural things for their own survival. And the design found in the interaction of diverse things in the world to form a harmonious ecological system.