Aquinas Quia Argument For The Existence Of God

1. Aquinas does not believe the existence of God is self-evident. When something such as God is self-evident to us as humanity the thing does not need to be proven. However, we as humans do not simply just know the facts of the universe (basis for self-evidence) we only know the facts we have slowly discovered through the sciences. Aquinas contrasts “self-evident to us” with “self-evident in itself.” As explained if the universe was self-evident to us, we would not need to try to prove the existence of God we would simply just know. When something is “self-evident in itself” it is true and exists only to itself. Aquinas argues within every object is the essence of itself that can be described by the subject and predicate. However, with an …show more content…
A quia argument is when we use the effects of a cause, to prove the cause. An example in religion would be use the evidence of our own existence and universe as it is the effect from a cause such as God to prove God exists. Oppositely propter quid arguments use the cause to justify the argument instead of the effect. Such an argument would be to say God is the cause for everything, therefore there is a God. Aquinas uses the quia argument because Aquinas is aware we do not know God and he is not self-evident to us, therefore we cannot just argue a cause to our universe. Aquina’s argument fits this category since he uses the justifications of motion to prove God’s existence. He uses the evidence of a brick house starting as a pile of bricks which an actor must move to turn into a house. Our universe was moved together by God and continues because of a God. Everything we see is God’s effect on the universe as we know …show more content…
The first way of proving God’s existence is through motion. Everything in the universe is in continuous motion whether actual or potential. However, for all of existence to be in motion there needed to be a first mover who turned potential motion into actual motion. Aquinas uses the example of wood have the potential to be hot but until a flame is started the wood will not be hot. Of course, in our able vision we believe that all things are moved by each other continuously however, if we go far enough back in time we will realize that there must be a first mover who began motion throughout the universe and that move capable of beginning such motion is God. The second way of proving God’s existence is through the nature of efficient cause. The universe itself is an effect from efficient cause(s), however, though the efficient causal chain is not infinite there must be a first efficient cause. Nothing can be the natural efficient cause of itself that humanity is at least aware of however, there must have been a first cause. So that cause according to Aquinas is