Scholasticism In the 1100s, scholars and monks rediscovered the ancient Greek texts that had been lost for so long. Scholasticism was a revival of

Transcription

1 Scholasticism In the 1100s, scholars and monks rediscovered the ancient Greek texts that had been lost for so long. Scholasticism was a revival of the ancient methods of logic and reasoning applied to nature for the purpose of articulating and defending Christian doctrine.

2 Scholasticism inspired the creation of universities throughout the Middle Ages. Thomas Aquinas was perhaps the leading figure in the movement of Scholasticism, borrowing particularly from the philosophy of Aristotle. Summa Theologica is his rational articulation and defense of Christian doctrine.

3 Is God self-evident? Two forms of being self-evident Self-evident in itself Blue is a color. Self-evident in relation to us We do not know what it entails for something to be God, so the proposition is not self-evident to us

4 Aquinas Five Proofs for the Existence of God

5 INFINITE REGRESS: A chain of reasoning in which the evidence for each point relies on the existence of a point before it with no clear starting point.

6 Argument from MOTION: 1. We currently live in a world in which things are moving 2. Movement is caused by movers (things that cause motion). 3. Everything that s moving must have been set into motion by something else that was moving. THEREFORE: Something must have started the motion in the first place.

7 1. Objects are in motion. 2. Everything in motion was put in motion by something else. 3. There can t be an infinite regress of movers. THEREFORE: There must be a first mover, itself unmoved, and that is God.

8 Aristotle s Prime Mover

9 Argument from CAUSATION: 1. Some things are caused. 2. Anything that s caused has to be caused by something else (since nothing causes itself). 3. There can t be an infinite regress of causes. THEREFORE: There must have been a first causer, itself uncaused, and that is God.

10 Necessary Being: A being that has always existed, that always will exist, and can t NOT exist. Contingent Being: Any being that could have not existed.

11 Argument from CONTINGENCY: 1. There are contingent things. 2. Contingent things can cause other contingent things, but there can t only be contingent things. That would mean that there s an infinite regress of contingency, and a possibility that nothing might have existed. 3. There can t be an infinite regress of contingency. THEREFORE: There must be at least one necessary thing, and that is God.

12 Argument from DEGREES: 1. Properties come in degrees. 2. In order for there to be degrees of perfection, there must be something perfect against which everything else is measured. 3. God is the pinnacle of perfection, by definition. THEREFORE: There must be one perfect thing, and that is God.

13 Argument from DESIGN: 1. We see that natural bodies work toward some goal, and do not do so by chance. 2. Most natural things lack knowledge. 3. But as an arrow reaches its target because it is directed by an archer, what lacks intelligence achieves goals by being directed by something intelligent. THEREFORE: There must be some intelligent being that directs all natural things to their ends, and that is God.

14 Problems? You can, of course, disagree with an argument but still agree with its conclusion.

15 It does not establish any particular God at all.

16 It does not require a being with sentience.

17 Aquinas could be wrong about an infinite regress being impossible. Why is God the ONLY thing that has no cause? By definition? (Refer to Article 1)