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    Critical Analysis of the 4th Proof of St.Thomas Aquinas

    Number of Pages: 5

     

    Summary of the research paper:

    The 4th proof of God's existence as argued by St. Thomas Aquinas is critically assessed with its weaknesses exposed in five pages. Three sources are cited in the bibliography.

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    the Summa theologiae, which is also referred to as the Summa theologica. In this text is Aquinas endeavors to rationalize the philosophy of ancient Greece, principally the works of Aristotle,  with traditional Christian theology (Muller, 1992). Also in this text, Aquinas argues that while the existence of God is not self-evident, it is demonstrable (Muller, 1992). In substantiation  of this assertion, Aquinas offers five famous, interrelated "proofs" of Gods existence. Aquinas fourth proof relies on Aquinas observations of comparisons. The following examination of Aquinas fourth proof will analyze  Aquinas argument and, in so doing, demonstrate that this particular "proof" of Gods existence is weak. Aquinas fourth proof is drawn more from the philosophy of Augustine than from  Aristotle (Muller, 1992). It is predicated on the observation that there are degrees of perfection or goodness in the world. Aquinas writes, "The fourth proof arises from the degrees that  are found in things. For there is found a greater and a less degree of goodness, truth, nobility and the like" (1998). From this observation, Aquinas argues that notions of  "good" and "better" imply that there has to be a "best" or "more perfect" being (Muller, 1992). Aquinas put it this way: "...more or less are terms spoken of  various things as they approach in diverse ways toward something that is the greatest, just as in the case of hotter (more hot) which approaches nearer the greatest heat" (1998).  He goes on to say that something exists that is the "truest, and best, and most noble, and in consequence, the greatest being" (Aquinas, 1998). To substantiate his reasoning,  Aquinas then points toward the second book of Aristotles Metaphysics (1998). Having established that a superlative being exists, Aquinas then argues that whatever is greatest is also the progenitor of 

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