Aquinas provides five arguments to prove the existence of god. He gives his first argument with motion. He says that the senses of the human beings testify that many of the things are in motion. Objects move when their potential motion transforms into real motion. An actual motion can only convert the mentioned potential motion. A thing cannot be both at the same time. Thus, a thing cannot move on its own. Then, it is sure that something else is moving things. It is impossible for the sequence of motion to go on ad infinitum. Thus, the mover who is moving all the things has to be God.
The second argument comes from Efficient Causes. Human beings perceive a number of efficient causes of things. No object exists before oneself. Thus, it is sure that nothing is the efficient cause to itself. If there is no previous efficient cause, the resultant thing cannot exist either. Thus, if the very first thing in the series is not in existence, nothing in the series can exist. It is impossible for the number of efficient causes to extend ad infinitum into the past times. Thus, one needs to admit of the first efficient cause: God.
The third argument that Aquinas gives has roots in Possibility and Necessity. There are things in nature that are contingent. If it is assumed all things are contingent, then there is a time a being does not exist. Thus, these cannot exist always. According to this logic, there was a time when nothing existed. There could have been no contingent being to give existence to the other things. As such, nothing would have existed at present. Thus, an absurd result is reached assuming that all beings are contingent. Hence, it can be concluded that not every being is contingent in nature. God is that being that brings others to existence.
The fourth argument comes from Gradation of Being. Things can be graded according to their quality. The prediction of any degree needs reference to the “most” case. The maximum amount in any genus is the reason for all in that particular genus. Thus, there has to be something that is the cause of the being and quality of everything else. This is called God by one and all.
The fifth argument comes from Design. All natural bodies work to reach some ambition, and this is not done by chance. Also, maximum natural things lack knowledge. Just like a bullet reaches its target being shot by a shooter, every natural thing is directed by some intelligent being. Thus, there is God who directs every natural thing toward its destination in the course of time.
Thus, Aquinas thoroughly proves the existence of God. His logic is infallible, and there can be no skepticism regarding God. The arguments have no loopholes, and cannot be questioned. The existence of God is proved by Aquinas. There cannot be any rational doubt about His existence.
Works Cited
“A Debate on the Existence of God: The Cosmological Argument -- F. C. Copleston vs. Bertrand
Russell.” Online video clip. Youtube, 14 March 2002. Web. 26 October 2014.
