Summa Theologica
Summa Theologica – Thomas Aquinas
Theology based on scripture
Theology leaves people with the knowledge that leads to eternal happiness
How reason, before faith, can know the existence of nature of God
The existence of God can be established through the use of reason
So far in this course we’ve seen platonic philosophy
With Aquinas, we are seeing Aristotelian philosophy
Avicenna d. 1037
Averroes d. 1198
Page 13
Whether existence of God is self-evident? NO.
Self Evident: Predict is implied within the subject
Ex. Blue is a color.
Unfalsifiable
God isn’t self evident because we don’t know the essence of God
Page 14.
Something can be self evident in itself
How can we know something we don’t know?
We learn and demonstrate from our senses
Something can’t be self evident to us because we don’t know the definition of God
Whether existence of God can be rationally demonstrated? YES.
Cause (a priori) and effect (a posteriori) page 15
To demonstrate God’s exist we have to start the effect
From the effect we proceed to the knowledge of the cause
Relative to us the effect is prior to the cause
We start with the effect and reason backwards towards the cause
What does he mean by effects?
Sensible things
What does he mean by cause?
Intelligible things
For Aquinas, all knowledge comes from the senses
“And from every effect….his effects are known to us..” (15)
Whether God exits?
We learn 5 things in the way God exists
1. Things are in motion – things change
2. Everything has an efficient cause, other than itself
3. Things are born and they die
4. Some things are better than others
5. Even non rational things act for specific ends
Distinction between potentiality and actuality (page 16)
To get from potentially knowing Dutch to actually knowing Dutch you need someone to teach me Dutch
You need someone who actually knows Dutch to move me from potentially knowing Dutch to actually knowing it
Wood is potentially fire because it has the
Theology based on scripture
Theology leaves people with the knowledge that leads to eternal happiness
How reason, before faith, can know the existence of nature of God
The existence of God can be established through the use of reason
So far in this course we’ve seen platonic philosophy
With Aquinas, we are seeing Aristotelian philosophy
Avicenna d. 1037
Averroes d. 1198
Page 13
Whether existence of God is self-evident? NO.
Self Evident: Predict is implied within the subject
Ex. Blue is a color.
Unfalsifiable
God isn’t self evident because we don’t know the essence of God
Page 14.
Something can be self evident in itself
How can we know something we don’t know?
We learn and demonstrate from our senses
Something can’t be self evident to us because we don’t know the definition of God
Whether existence of God can be rationally demonstrated? YES.
Cause (a priori) and effect (a posteriori) page 15
To demonstrate God’s exist we have to start the effect
From the effect we proceed to the knowledge of the cause
Relative to us the effect is prior to the cause
We start with the effect and reason backwards towards the cause
What does he mean by effects?
Sensible things
What does he mean by cause?
Intelligible things
For Aquinas, all knowledge comes from the senses
“And from every effect….his effects are known to us..” (15)
Whether God exits?
We learn 5 things in the way God exists
1. Things are in motion – things change
2. Everything has an efficient cause, other than itself
3. Things are born and they die
4. Some things are better than others
5. Even non rational things act for specific ends
Distinction between potentiality and actuality (page 16)
To get from potentially knowing Dutch to actually knowing Dutch you need someone to teach me Dutch
You need someone who actually knows Dutch to move me from potentially knowing Dutch to actually knowing it
Wood is potentially fire because it has the