The existence of good has brought about the debate as every philosopher and scientist tries to air their arguments either to prove that God exists or refute other discussions on the existence of God. Many philosophers and scientist have been involved in this controversial topic as they try to outwit each other in this matter. Throughout this article, the author tries to analyze the two most prominent individuals who have been attempting to air their arguments concerning this topic. The author will major on the philosophies and the perspective of St. Thomas Aquinas and give a critical discussion on the five-way suggestions. The author also will discuss Richard Dawkins refutation on the five ways and give evidence and underlying reasons for his objections of the five ways. The author will also analysis any similarity or differences and provides an opinion if any on the presentation of the two counter philosophies and arguments of these two exceptional individuals on the existence of God.
The five ways discussion
"St. Thomas Aquinas, the Jesuit priest, was undoubtedly a scholar and an eminent philosopher; his arguments are quite valid to a great extent, but the limited scientific and technological developments during the middle ages has adversely affected his thinking pattern to certain extent from a scientific point of view; however from a metaphysical point of view, these arguments are sound enough and to the point” (McCabe, 2010). The first way which is regarded as the most obvious move is based on the change. It is obvious according to Thomas that objects in the world are subject to change. It is also obvious that something which changes is changed by something else. "This is so because it is characteristic of things in the process of change that they do not yet have the perfection towards which they move, though able to have it; whereas it is characteristic of something causing the change to have that perfection already." This happens so because change occurs on only something which previously existence. A good example is that fire which is usually hot can change wood which has the capability of being hot to become very hot. In this case, the wood is changed by fire. This proves that the potential motions can become real motion. It also shows that only an actual movement can make possible movement become actual motion. Since the sequence of motion cannot extend ad infinitum , this is a proof of the existence of God.
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The second way according to the Thomas Aquinas is tied to the nature of causation. "In the observable world causes are found to be ordered in series; we never observe, nor ever could, something causing itself, for this would mean it preceded itself, and this is not possible." however, it worth noting that this causation has an end "for in it an earlier member causes and intermediate and the intermediate a last (whether the intermediate be one or many)". He further argues that if you eliminate the cause, its effects also go with it. This means that "you cannot have the last cause or an intermediate one unless you have a first." this means that there is a first cause which people give the name God. This can be summarized as follows: “First, experience and causality, second, Indicate that the cause which is correlative to the effect (from ex –facere, to work out) is other than it; and third, that a first uncaused cause exists, to which everybody gives the name God."
The third is based on what should exist and what must exist. He argues that some of the things we see can exist yet they need not be; “for we find them springing up and dying sway, thus sometimes in being and sometimes not". He further suggests that nothing need to be this way "for a thing that need not be, once was not; and if everything need not be, once upon a time, there was nothing.” I case this was true according to him; then nothing would ever exist. This concludes therefore that not everything needs not to exist; there is something that must be. "Now a thing that must be, may or may not owe this necessity to something else, but, just as we must stop somewhere in a series of causes, so also in the series of things which must be and owe this to other things, One is forced therefore itself; indeed it is the cause that other things must be." the fourth way is based on the gradation and observed issues. This is the observable degree of being, the "reflection that more or less, implies a ―most; that the most and noble being is the cause of all other being and good; and this we call God” (Gilson, 2013). The fifth way is based on the nature guidelines. This way argue that things have goals to meet in life and they find themselves achieving them, this is not an accident. However, something which also lacks awareness also has some goals which they make without being aware. According to him, all things are directed towards their goals by something which understands them, and this is God.
Refutation
Richards Dawkins has argued against Thomas Aquinas five ways. First, he categorizes the first three ways as similar. He claims that the “regress which is the marking feature of all the three arguments is not a genuine reason to assume the existence of a God and for him if at all God exists there is no reason to place Him outside the so-called regress-zone." He further argues that God’s attributes are contradicting to each other he points at the God as being omnipotence and Omniscience. Furthermore, ‘he claims that a Big Bang singularity can thoroughly explain the termination of the proposed regress or even nature by itself can technically terminate the regress as in case of a piece of gold being cut, and its regress is terminated by the atom” (Kenny, 2014).
He refutes the fourth way and claims it is child play; he, therefore, forms a linguistic reply to it which he argues that is the best to prove the extent of the shallowness of the fourth arguments. "The fifth argument with multiple modes of explanatory possibility is seen from the perspective of creationism alone by Dawkins." he uses the viewpoint of the evolution and the creationism to refute the fifth point.
Opinion
Both Aquinas and Dawkins express some similarity on the issue of nature in that in both arguments, nature causes some changes or things are as they are currently due to some changes as result of nature. However, both cases seem to have substantial weaknesses which make them far from perfect and less convincing. In Aquinas case, he seems to be transcending from empirical to metaphysical in his thoughts and hence less compelling. On the other hand, Dawkins appears to be entangled on the empirical realm, and this is seen in his many contemporaries.
The paper has revealed the perception of the Thomas Aquinas and Dawkins on the existence of God. The article has concluded that even though the two individuals have tired so much to bring some light on the issue of God's presence through nature, the two theories have weaknesses which make them entirely less convincing.
References
Kenny, A. (2014). Five Ways: St Thomas Aquinas Vo . Routledge.
Gilson, E. (2013). The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas . Random House.
McCabe, H. (2010). God and Evil: In the Theology of St Thomas Aquinas . Bloomsbury Publishing.
