...Philosophy 3 December 2013 The Existence of God: Theories of Thomas Aquinas and St. Anselm Everyone has a fundamental idea of God that they have thought of believing it or not believing it. Throughout history many theologians have tried to conjure up ideas and theories to prove the existence of God. In this essay I will explain two different philosophers ontological approach to proving the existence of God, and how their theories relate and compare to one another. The first philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas explains the existence of God in five different proofs. The first argument he attempts to prove the existence of God through, is the "unmoved mover" argument. He claims that since there is motion in the world, and motion has to be caused by another thing, which has to be caused by another thing, leads to the original mover, God who caused the first motion. The argument can be broken down like this: 1. Nothing can move itself. 2. If every object in motion had a mover, then the first object in motion needed a mover. 3. Movement cannot go on for infinity. 4. This first mover is the Unmoved Mover, called God. Aquinas motion includes any kind of change or growth. Aquinas argues that things that are at rest is the natural condition for them. Something that is moving is unnatural and must have been put into that state of motion by some external force.(Higgins) In the second argument for the existence of God, Aquinas bases it on the theory of Causation. He claims that since...
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...Religion vs. Politics, human law vs. divine law, and good government vs. bad government, are all things that hold strong influence over the people in society, and determine their behavior towards one another. Laws are created to maintain order amongst the people, and therefore, should be reflective of everyone as a whole. For those who cause trouble should be the only ones subjected to the law. And, despite the law holding so much power, many people still break it. In this paper, I will explore the religious, philosophical, and political views of St. Thomas Aquinas in relation to the law in society, through his following works: The Doctrine of Necessary Being, the Weakness of Will, and his views on the City, Province, and Empire in the Subsidiarity, Federalism, and Best Constitution. I will then explore his reasoning about why religion and state should co-exist independently, but overlap in the governing of the people. Thomas Aquinas is one of the most renowned Saints in the Dominican Order. He was born in Roccasecca, Italy in 1225. From the age of five to thirteen he attended a...
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...St Thomas Aquinas version of The Cosmological Argument Aquinas developed the five ways to prove the existence of God. He based his arguments on what could be observed, his observations included that the universe moves and changes. From his observations he reached conclusions about the existence of God. However, Aquinas did actually accept the fact that he may not prove that the cause of the universe is the God of classical theism. He also did not accept infinity because he believed that there had to be an explanation of the existence of things and that if the chain of movement and causes went back forever there would be no reason for the existence of the universe. He quoted ‘God’s effects are enough to prove that God exists, even if they may not be enough to help us comprehend what he is’. The first argument was based on motion, he did not believe in movement only from one place to another, but also in the movement of change of quality or quantity. Aquinas argued that everything is in motion, and for something to be in motion something must have been put in motion by some sort of object or force. He believed that the process of moving and being moved cannot be infinite. Therefore there must be a first mover or prime mover that itself is unmoved, this mover must be outside the universe. This mover is God. The second way was based on causes and effects. He said that from clear observation that every object must be created and that everything that exists has a cause. Aquinas argued...
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...What is it that binds mankind together? What force exists that can take such a diverse and unique population and subject all of said population to its will? Natural law is meant to be a standard rule which applies to the entirety of mankind and naturally such a thing (if indeed there is such a thing) has been a topic that many philosophers have discussed since the beginning and have well…naturally come to their own conclusions about. St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are such philosophers and have worked a great deal with this exact topic. St. Thomas Aquinas understands natural law simply as the rational participation in what he calls the eternal law (the laws of the physical world around...
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...BACKGROUND St. Thomas Aquinas was philosopher and theologian. Hewas born circa 1225 in Roccasecca, Italy. He is the son of Landulph, count of Aquino and his mother, Theodora, countess of Teano. Thomas had eight siblings, and was the youngest child. Though Thomas's family members were descendants of Emperors Frederick I and Henry VI, they were considered to be of lower nobility. Combining the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason, he ranked among the most influential thinkers of medieval Scholasticism. An authority of the Roman Catholic Church and a prolific writer. In January 1274, St. Thomas Aquinas embarked on a trip to Lyon, France, on foot to serve on the Second Council, but never made it there. Along the way, he fell ill at the Cistercian monastery of Fossanova, Italy. The monks wanted St. Thomas Aquinas to stay at the castle, but, sensing that his death was near, Thomas preferred to remain at the monastery, saying, "If the Lord wishes to take me away, it is better that I be found in a religious house than in the dwelling of a layperson." On his deathbed, St. Thomas Aquinas uttered his last words to the Cistercian monks who had so graciously attended him: "This is my rest forever and ever: Here will I dwell for I have chosen it." (Psalm 131:14) Often called "The Universal Teacher," St. Thomas Aquinas died at the monastery of Fossanova on March 7, 1274. He canonized by Pope John XXII in 1323. Source: http://www.biography.com/people/st-thomas-aquinas-9187231#early-life& ...
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...Aquinas’ 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 grace and nature is made apparent and reflects the writings of Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”. Dante’s pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise exhibit and reflect St. Thomas’ understanding of the relationship of nature and grace. Dante mirrors grace through Beatrice and reflects nature in Virgil. These symbolic representations show how Aquinas views are instilled in Dante’s writing. In St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica” he bases the relationship between nature and grace on the human purpose. Since we are all rational beings with an ultimate goal of reuniting with God, Aquinas’ believes that both grace and nature will allow us to achieve the human goal. Aquinas explains that reason and revelation parallel moral development of virtue and grace. Reason is something you can practice, much like the four cardinal virtues temperance, courage, justice, and wisdom. These three theological virtues faith, hope and love help you achieve grace. These virtues come from...
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...THOMAS AQUINAS Introduction Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the most famous saints of the Catholic Church. He is called a 'Doctor of the Church' and was a theologian, and philosopher. His parents sent him to a monastery when he was five years old and his teachers were surprised by how quickly he learned and his great faith. But when Thomas announced that he wanted to become a Dominican, his family tried to stop him. His brothers captured him and locked him up in a castle. His mother, sister and brothers kept him there for two years. Thomas was a very big man with a kind and humble manner. Because he didn't talk very much, people thought he was stupid and therefore called him 'the ox.' When they heard him preach, however, everyone realized how wise Thomas really was. After he became a priest, Thomas studied in Paris and taught at universities in many cities of Europe. He wrote more than 40 books and several beautiful hymns. All of his work praises God and helped many people understand faith better. At the end of his life, Saint Thomas stopped writing and he had a vision of Heaven. Because of this experience, Thomas decided that compared to the great glory of God, his writing was 'like straw.' Three months later, on his way to see the Pope, he died. Thomas Aquinas’ Early Life and Eduacation He was born in Italy in 1225, the son of a count. When he was five years old, his parents send him to study with the Benedictines of Monte Casino. There, and later at the university...
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...Thomas Aquinas was an Italian priest who were the pioneers of theological teachings and famous for his Eucharistic hymns in church. Aquinas is a distinguished saint honored by the Catholic Church for his contributions in natural reasoning and several teachings of theology. The papal that undergo training go through his teachings and the pope of the Catholic Church has ordained him as the doctor of the church and the greatest philosopher and theologician of all times. Aquinas was considered a philosopher by his mates but he strongly objected and criticized other philosophers who pagans that the missed the massive wisdom available in the Christian revelations. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who formulated the theory of ethical deontology (Fagothey) Kant was a strong proponent of enlightenment rationalism which basically meant that for something to be good , it must be from a good will so and that the action just follows the will and the moral law. He also perpetrated the principle of universibility and strongly believed that for an action to be permissible by the society, must equally apply to all the people in the same manner and not biased. He also believed in the theories of perfect and imperfect duty and advocated that the perfect duty should an obvious thing in the eyes of the humanity such as committing murder is a criminal to both the mind and the soul and can be referred as a perfect duty. Imperfect duty such charitable works can be substantiated and simply bases...
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...Buddha and St. Thomas Aquinas Western philosophy and Eastern philosophy differ in many different ways. Western philosophy was mostly based on logic whereas Eastern philosophy was more spiritual and often focused on achieving serenity within one’s self. Though they had very different foundations, there are some similarities that occur within individual philosophers. Buddha is one of the most famous philosophers of all time and greatly influenced all of Eastern philosophy. Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of few philosophers that believed in God and the more logical aspects of Western philosophies. Those these two philosophers seem very different upon initial inspection, similarities arise when you delve further into their beliefs. Buddha and Aquinas had some similar beliefs on actions. Thomas Aquinas believed that the intention behind a person’s action determines whether or not that action is morally good or bad. Buddha believed the same that the intention of an action determines whether or not that action is good or bad. Buddha’s belief is backed up by his eightfold path under the “Right Action” rule. Also, though they both held widely different beliefs on the afterlife and what happened once one died, they did seem to have similar thoughts on how people should behave in order to achieve the best possible afterlife possibility. Saint Thomas Aquinas believed that there was a natural law that guides us to our natural goal-happiness on earth. He thought that human law-laws created...
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...St. Thomas Aquinas 1224-1275 “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” St. Thomas Aquinas Early Life B orn in Roccasecca, Naples, Italy, in the castle of his father Landulf, Count of Aquinos. R eceived his elementary education at the monastery of Cassino, then studied for six years at the University of Naples, until the age of 16. A ssumed the habit of St. Dominic at the age of 17, with much opposition from his family. Theological Study S tudied at the Dominican School in Cologne, under the tutelage of Albertus Magnus. He followed Albertus to Paris and studied under him for three more years. I n 1248 he graduated with a Bachelors. He was immediately hired as a teacher. This marked the beginning of his literary and public life. I n 1257, he was named doctor of theology, calling for him to travel from city to city within his order. Late Life I n 1272 he was commanded to return to Naples as Professor. I n 1274 he was invited to the second council at Lyons, called to reunite the east and west churches. Unfortunately, on his way his health took a turn for the worse, and he passed away March 7, 1274. Philosophy R econciles theology with philosophy, revelation with reason, faith with science. S t. Thomas Aquinas showed that they are distinct sciences, yet complimentary. T o know all truth, one must rely on faith...
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...The Attainability of Happiness Can one attain happiness in this life? St. Thomas Aquinas is very opinionated on this subject. To know if one can attain happiness in this life, Aquinas first analyzes different possible sources of happiness to determine whether or not man’s happiness consists in these sources. Aquinas asks if any created good could consist of man’s happiness. St. Thomas says it could seem as if happiness consists of created goods because “man is made happy by that which lulls his natural desire”(1). Created goods satisfy us because they are what we crave, so when we attain them we could achieve happiness. Aquinas argues that while this is so, created goods cannot possibly be the source of man’s happiness. This is mainly due to the fact that created goods are “less than the goods of which he is capable, as of an object, and which is infinite. And the participated good which is in an angel, and in the whole universe, is a finite and restricted good” (2). What this means is that it does not make sense for man to solely derive his happiness from created goods because they are finite; there is only a set amount of these things in existence. Man would always have to worry about whatever good that is fueling his happiness from running out, because it is not eternal. For Aquinas, this means that our happiness cannot possibly consist of created goods because by definition, happiness is that state in which nothing is left to be desired. One is completely satisfied and at...
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...knew that He was not an invention of humans. Even so, many of them tried to prove that God was real. The main conflict in the XI century was between two social groups: First of all, those who saw theology as a Bible commentary –and said that God was unreachable and a mystery-. Secondly, those who thought that rational analysis would be better -and were in favour of a more empirical and rational knowledge-. Religion and philosophy were largely mixed. The task of philosophical theology was to clarify, determine and explain the existence of God. How were philosophers supposed to do it? What are the different approaches taken by two of the most important medieval thinkers –Anselm of Canterbury and Thomas Aquinas-, and how do they differ? ***** Both Thomas Aquinas and Anselm of Canterbury identified God as a supreme being with a large number of attributes, necessary for life and the cause of the universe. They acted as mediators between the philosophical problems of their time. Anselm of Canterbury defined God as "that than nothing better can be thought" -meaning that we think of God as the most perfect being, the supreme being-. He considered it possible to demonstrate the existence of God from the mere intellectual understanding of the concept of God. He rejected the observation of the world. The existence in reality is greater than in the mind alone. Thus, if God was just in our mind, the definition of “than that nothing better can be thought” would...
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...subjective term. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a conscience is to be defined as ‘an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behaviour’ however this is the view of only some, and there is much debate around the meaning, ability and purpose of the conscience. Theist’s such as St. Thomas Aquinas and Joseph Butler point to God as the source of conscience in contrast to psychologists and sociologists such as Sigmund Freud who point to causes such as authoritative figures shaping our conscience. Equally they disagree on the role it plays, Freud for example suggested it is created as part of the unconscious mind, and believed that it arose as a result of bad experiences early in life, as well as disapproval from parents and society. Butler in contrast would name it ‘’our natural guide’’ given by god to help us act as a moral judge and use reasons to weigh up factors in a moral decision. In this essay I will assess the views of Aquinas, Butler, Fromm, and Freud in relation to the claim and my belief that the conscience does not allow too much freedom. Italian Dominican theologian St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism; he defined conscience as "the faculty of reason making moral decisions". He believed that it is a natural part of mental activity and provides an individual with moral guidance. He called the conscience the recta ratio i.e. right reason. It is not, as Newman said...
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...A Brief Look at Happiness If nothing else, one thing can be said about happiness: If individuals are happy and they know they are happy, they should clap their hands. While the intent of this simple statement is merely to amuse children, developing true happiness is thought by many to be very difficult. Also, happiness is often falsely recognized and misinterpreted. Therefore, being truly happy and knowing you are truly happy are very loaded concepts. The object of this paper is to analyze and compare the thoughts of three philosophers’ whose remarks on happiness have been most influential for centuries after their time. They are Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Although I do not have the perfect understanding of happiness and believe no one does, I believe that each of their approaches to happiness hold a common theme that must be inconsistent with true happiness. They base happiness ultimately on self fulfillment. One of the earliest to ask the question ‘what is happiness?’ was Aristotle, who, in a manner typical of philosophers, before providing an answer insisted on making a distinction between two different questions. His first question was what was meant by the word ‘happiness’—or rather, its ancient Greek equivalent eudaimonia. His second question was where happiness was to be found, that is to say, what is it that makes us truly happy? Reasonably enough he thought that it was futile to try to answer the second question without having given thought to...
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...Specimen Paper, timed- 45 minutes a) Explain the Natural Law Theory (25 marks) b) ‘Natural Law is not the best approach to euthanasia’ (10 marks) The theory of Natural Law is a deontological theory, which means that it is based on duty, proposed by St Thomas Aquinas, which also comes from a teleological worldview based on Aristotle’s idea that the good is defined by the final cause. A key aspect to Aquinas’ natural law is also the idea of the synderesis principle, which states that we “naturally do good to avoid evil”. St Thomas Aquinas’ argument was sought to reconcile Christian thought with the Greek thinking of Aristotle’s work, which could be seen in Islamic libraries in the Fall of Toledo, where Christian armies reconquered Spain. Aquinas sees goodness in the Divine Essence (nature of God), which was his first law. His second law was the idea of ‘eternal law’ which he said was reflected in our own human nature and the ends in which we rationally pursue, which draws parallels to the synderesis principle, which opposes the idea of ‘reformation’ which proposes the idea that “we have all sinned and fall short of Gods glory” as portrayed in Romans 3-23. God’s Divine and eternal Laws are further proposed in the Holy Scriptures, such as the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. From these observable, rational ends, we get the five primary precepts. The Primary Precepts are “good wills” that we rationally pursue, and are absolute. They consist of preservation of life, order...
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