Thomas Joseph White #8: The Fourth Way (I, 2, 3)

Summary

In Aquinas' Fourth Way, he posits that the existence of God can be inferred from the degrees of perfection in reality, such as existence, unity, truth, goodness, and beauty. These transcendentals are present in all things, yet none are the cause of the scale itself. Aquinas argues that God, as the transcendent originator, is the source of this scale, providing an intelligible order to the universe that we participate in but do not fully comprehend.

Takeaways

• 📚 Aquinas' Fourth Way is an argument for the existence of God based on the degrees of perfection.
• 🎨 Perfections like color are limited by their nature, whereas transcendentals like existence, goodness, and beauty are not.
• 🌟 These transcendentals are present in all things and can theoretically extend to infinity.
• 🌱 Things can be more or less existent, good, beautiful, or true according to different degrees of perfection.
• 🌿 Aquinas suggests that all things in the universe participate in these perfections, yet none are the cause of the scale of perfections.
• 🤔 The existence of a shared intelligible order implies a transcendent, exemplary cause beyond the scale itself.
• 🔍 Aquinas argues that God is the transcendent originator of the scale of perfections, not part of it.
• 🧠 God is not comprehensible within the set of creatures but is the hidden architect and origin of them.
• 🌌 We can derive knowledge of God's existence from creation, but He remains mysterious and unknown to us.
• 📖 The argument from degrees of perfection is profound and worth considering, even in the modern scientific era.

Q & A

What is the Fourth Way argument by Aquinas?

The Fourth Way is Aquinas' argument from the degrees of perfection, suggesting that certain perfections in reality, like existence, unity, truth, goodness, and beauty, exist in a spectrum and can go all the way to the infinite, implying a transcendent source for these perfections.

How does Aquinas differentiate between perfections like color and those like existence?

Aquinas differentiates by stating that perfections like color are limited by their nature and cannot be infinite, whereas perfections like existence, goodness, and beauty are present in all things and can theoretically extend to infinity without inherent limitation.

What is meant by 'transcendentals' in Aquinas' argument?

Transcendentals refer to the features or characteristics of reality such as being, goodness, truth, and beauty that are present in all things and contribute to their intelligibility and order.

How does Aquinas explain the existence of a spectrum of perfections?

Aquinas explains the existence of a spectrum of perfections by suggesting that all things participate in varying degrees of these perfections, from non-living things to living beings, and within living beings, from basic existence to higher forms of goodness and beauty.

What is the role of the scale of perfections according to Aquinas?

The scale of perfections, as Aquinas describes, is a pre-existing order that all things participate in, suggesting a deeper unity and intelligibility that is not caused by the things themselves but by a transcendent source.

How does Aquinas connect the scale of perfections to the existence of God?

Aquinas argues that since all things share in the intelligible order of the scale of perfections and none of them are the cause of it, there must be a transcendent, exemplary cause, which he identifies as God, who is the source of the scale.

What is the nature of God's relationship to the scale of perfections, according to Aquinas?

God, according to Aquinas, is the transcendent originator of the scale of perfections but is not included in the scale. He is the source of the order of perfections, yet remains incomprehensible and unknown to us.

How does Aquinas suggest we can derive knowledge of God's existence?

Aquinas suggests that we can derive knowledge of God's existence from creation, as the order and intelligibility of the scale of perfections in reality bear witness to a hidden architect and origin.

What is the philosophical stance of Aquinas regarding our understanding of God?

Aquinas holds that while we can infer God's existence from the perfections in the world, our understanding of God remains limited and mysterious, as He is beyond the total set of creatures.

How does Aquinas describe the relationship between individual things and the scale of perfections?

Aquinas describes individual things as not being autonomous measures of reality's perfections but as part of a pre-existing, embedded measure within the scale of perfections that manifests in them.

What does Aquinas mean by 'degrees of perfection' in the context of his argument?

Aquinas refers to 'degrees of perfection' as the varying levels at which the transcendentals such as existence, goodness, and beauty are present in all things, ranging from the most basic to the most exalted forms.