“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth” (King James Version Gen. 1.1). This well known verse of scripture has influenced countless lives and debates during its existence. Many theologians and philosophers have argued not only if the bible is true, but if there is an actual existence of God. Saint Thomas Aquinas was one such philosopher, and created 5 intriguing arguments for the existence of God. Each argument is compelling and interesting; however, it is only the first four that are known as the cosmological arguments. Although the fifth argument, the teleological argument, is worth reading, we will be giving the four cosmological arguments our attention. In this essay, not only will we will discuss the arguments from motion,
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Aquinas continued by saying that things in motion must have been started by other things in motion. For an example of this, think of dominos. One falling domino leads to the next one falling, and so on. This concludes the basic truth that one thing cannot start by itself. He said, “For motion is nothing else than the reduction of something from potentiality to actuality” (139). However, Aquinas claimed infinite regress, which is “a sequence of reasoning or justification which can never come to an end” (oxforddictionaries.com), was impossible. Meaning, the continual past thinking of something causing something else is illogical. There needed to be something to start it all, a First Mover, which in itself was unmoved. Aquinas, therefore, claimed this Unmoved Mover was …show more content…
While the first three arguments relied heavily on the impracticality of infinite regress, the Argument from Degrees or Gradation takes a step away from the first three’s reasoning. The main premise of the fourth argument falls on what perfection is. In life, there is always something to look up too. There is the highest award you could achieve, or the noblest heroic act you could accomplish. Though, in order to achieve anything, we must be measured against or look for perfection. Since God is omnipotent, he the cause to all the perfect things. Therefore, God exists and is the perfection in the world that we are measured against and look up too. This last argument concludes Aquinas’s Cosmological
Aquinas continued by saying that things in motion must have been started by other things in motion. For an example of this, think of dominos. One falling domino leads to the next one falling, and so on. This concludes the basic truth that one thing cannot start by itself. He said, “For motion is nothing else than the reduction of something from potentiality to actuality” (139). However, Aquinas claimed infinite regress, which is “a sequence of reasoning or justification which can never come to an end” (oxforddictionaries.com), was impossible. Meaning, the continual past thinking of something causing something else is illogical. There needed to be something to start it all, a First Mover, which in itself was unmoved. Aquinas, therefore, claimed this Unmoved Mover was …show more content…
While the first three arguments relied heavily on the impracticality of infinite regress, the Argument from Degrees or Gradation takes a step away from the first three’s reasoning. The main premise of the fourth argument falls on what perfection is. In life, there is always something to look up too. There is the highest award you could achieve, or the noblest heroic act you could accomplish. Though, in order to achieve anything, we must be measured against or look for perfection. Since God is omnipotent, he the cause to all the perfect things. Therefore, God exists and is the perfection in the world that we are measured against and look up too. This last argument concludes Aquinas’s Cosmological