Aquinas' Proofs of G-d's Existence

Who: Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

What:

• Contained in Summa Theologica- incorporate Aristotle’s concept of the soul and ethics into Christian dogma

• Five arguments:

-movement- the Unmoved Mover from which all change originates but of which the Mover is independent

-causation- there must a first cause to explain the existence of all other causes

-contingency- since there are dependent beings there must be an independent being on which the dependents rely

-excellence-there must be a perfect being from whose ultimate excellence all shades of excellence originate

-harmony- the harmony of the world is explained by a divine designer who planned it

When: after 1252 and before 1273 (not sure)

Where: Paris?

Significance: He provides logical explanations for G-d’s existence. He provided one of the foundations of Christian theology.