Explain The Five Proofs Of Aquinas

Aquinas was a philosopher that used many arguments derived from Aristotle, however, Aquinas was unique in the way he approached the idea of an ethical life by combining arguments of reason with theology and God. Based on rational reasonings such as the four types of laws he defines and the precepts he draws from them, combined with faith in God, Aquinas believes that it is possible and just to judge another person’s actions, ethical character, and conception of life. Aquinas believes an ethical person will act in a certain way, which can be told from his actions, and his happiness will only come in the afterlife with God. Aquinas acknowledges that faith alone is not enough; one cannot judge another nor understand the world just …show more content…
Due to this, he developed five proofs to prove God, and thus make his arguments about faith, God, and eternal happiness be rational. His first proof is that everything in the world is in motion, constantly moving. However, an object in motion can’t cause motion so something must have started the first motion. This initial source is God. Since he is all-powerful, he does not move and rather just causes the motion. The second proof is everything has a cause and effect relationship in the world. If a person does one thing, it will cause a ripple of effects. Again, something must have been the first cause; something must have started this change. This first cause must have been God. The third proof is necessary existence. Things are constantly coming into existence and then perishing in an ongoing series. For this series to start though, it needs a starting point. Since God does not rely on anything else, he is able to start this sequence, thus bringing the first thing into existence, starting the cycle. The four proof is degrees of perfection. People live comparatively. They compare one experience to another with things being better or worse. However, they never experience an absolute since physical objects are always changing which thus prevents them from reaching an absolute. Yet, if people are comparing things to each other, there must be absolute somewhere. Aquinas argues that absolute good is God. The fifth and final proof of Aquinas is the cosmological argument. Everything in the world observed by senses has order, even nonconscious objects act in an orderly way. For this to happen, there must be something of equal or greater intelligence causing this cause and effect. It is impossible for people to be this cause because people are still learning about the universe and haven’t been around for much of universe. Aquinas then goes on to say that the only reason possible