Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Comparing between religion and science
Easy on religion vs science
Argument of Aquinas
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Comparing between religion and science
Aquinas Fifth Way of proving the existence of God
Question: Briefly summarize Aquinas’ Fifth Way of proving the existence of God. What counter-argument does Hume cite in answer to this argument from Design? What is John Hick’s answer to Hume’s argument from Evil? Is he right?
Thomas Aquinas theorized five different logical arguments to prove the existence of God utilizing scientific hypotheses and basic assumptions of nature. In the fifth of his famous “Five Ways”, Aquinas sets forth the assumption that all natural bodies move toward an end. Since bodies are constantly moving in the best way possible to achieve that end, the path must be designed. God, of course, is the ultimate designer of the universe. The natural hypothesis that follows is that God created the universe, including the human race, for a purpose or to achieve an end, and thus the universe and all life moves toward that end constantly and in the best manner possible.
Later philosophers who studied Aquinas’ fifth way realized that this theorem is plagued with a problem, the problem of evil. In David Hume’s Design, through the art of conversation and Socratic debate, the two main characters in his essay set forth and decipher the problems of evil and how it may disprove Aquinas’ fifth way among countless other theories of creation by a omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God. Hume explains that if God created the universe to achieve an end, and if the path toward that end is the best manner to that end, then how does one explain the existence of evils in the universe such as natural disasters, pain, disappointment, anger, sickness and despair.
Hume uses the two characters in his essay to display the human point of view regarding the problem of evil, so that he can theorize using actual human experience, feelings, and sensations rather than logical assumptions and scientific hypotheses regarding a universe outside and beyond our own human existence. The essay suggests that the human experience is usually, for the most part, an unhappy one. Hume believes that all humans experience pain, sickness, anguish, nervousness, fear, sadness, embarrassment in some point during their lives. The “good” feelings humans experience in life, such as joy, love, excitement and pleasure are often few and far between and always less enduring than the “evil” feelings. For example, I...
... middle of paper ...
... the existence of God and the problem of evil, my mind keeps wandering to one example of human life, Christopher Reeves. He is a man who was blessed with looks, career success as an actor and celebrity, and a happy marriage. One day he becomes paralyzed from the neck down losing everything even the capacity to breath. If God sees this and can change his condition, why doesn’t He? Has is made Reeves a better man or enriched his soul as Hicks would say? Surely Reeves’ life is filled with unhappiness and suffering. Does one have to be aware that they are in the process of soulmaking? And is soulmaking supposed to be good for the individual, for the world at large or just for God?
If I could answer these questions, there would be no need for the study of philosophy, as they have no correct answer. I do believe in God, but I do not know why except for a feeling inside which may be inborn or the result of my environment. David Hume’s philosophies are based upon trusting one’s feelings as is evidenced by his reliance on poets instead of scientists. I think I will also go with my feelings on this issue. God does exist but humans may never have the capacity to understand the Hows and Whys.
In David Hume’s essay, Why Does God Let People Suffer, he allows the reader to question if God exists in the world we live in with all the pain and suffering that goes on. Hume suggests that an all powerful God, such as the one most believe in, would not allow a world to exist with this much pain and suffering that goes on daily. Moreover, Hume basically argues that the existence of God is something that cannot be proven in the way in which scientists look for and gather proof about other scientific issues. In the following essay, I will demonstrate how David Hume feels that there is a God despite all the suffering and pain that exists in our world. “Is the World, considered in general, and as it appears to us in this life, different from what a Man or such a limited being would, beforehand, expect from a very powerful, wise, and benevolent Deity?” Additionally, Hume argues for the existence of an omnipotent God. According to the author, a world with this much evil in it, one can’t logically assume that there exists an all powerful God that knows everything. Interestingly, Hume simply argues that we can’t infer that there is a God that exists who is all knowing and all powerful with the tremendous amounts of evil that exists in the world. More importantly, Hume speculates on the creation of the universe. One hypothesis contends that the universe was created without good or malice. In other words, according to Hume, our universe was more likely created by something other than a God with good intentions. However, throughout the essay Hume presents arguments for the existence of God and against the existence of God. Hume further argues that humans would be able to comprehend an omniscient G...
In this paper, I will use the writings of John Hick and Richard Swinburne to dispute the problem of evil argument. After I first elaborate on the P.O.E., I will give support for God’s existence with regards to the problem of evil. Then, I will address further counterarguments
St. Thomas Aquinas presents five arguments to demonstrate the existence of God. However, this paper focuses on the fifth argument. The fifth argument is regarded as the Teleological Argument and states that things that lack intelligence act for some end or purpose. While the fifth argument satisfies God’s existence for Aquinas, some contemporary readers would argue that Aquinas neglects the laws of physics. Others argue that Aquinas allows a loophole in his argument so that the Catholic conception of God is not the only intelligent designer.
Back in 1200s, St. Thomas Aquinas has provided "five ways" to prove for the existence of God, which I am persuaded by, and hopefully others would see the same 'light' in this argument--unfortunately, it does not provide sufficient answers regarding the 'nature of God' (Bailey and Martin, 2011, 37). All five arguments share the "form of logic called syllogism," "initial premise, starting from the empirical facts," and the existence of "transcendent cause" to everything (Bailey and Martin, 2011, 25). Here, I will choose the second way, the argument of "efficient cause," which I feel it as the most compelling argument and sums up other arguments to demonstrate for the existence of God. 'God,' here is defined as the God introduced in the Bible of Christianity.
The imaginary voices he hears are an echo of his thoughts, and how he thinks that he will never not only sleep again, but rest his mind and soul, and be at peace. The voices that say that Macbeth has murdered sleep prove to be true: In act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth shows her guilt through her sleepwalking, while a doctor and a gentlewoman speak about her. They reveal that she has been sleepwalking for days. This proves that guilt plays a role in Macbeth by affecting the characters sleep. The phrase “Sleep it off” means that by sleeping, one’s troubles will become better, but this is the opposite for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. They both endure the consequences of not sleeping well: their souls never get to rest, their guilt will stay with them. The dire repercussions of killing Duncan affect their minds: Macbeth hallucinates, and Lady Macbeth is driven to madness even in her sleep. Next, while Macbeth continues to ramble about these voices, and he speaks about the blood on his
He concludes he did not create the idea of God. A finite being is incapable of creating an idea of an infinite possibility. Therefore, God must have created the idea already in him when he was created. Concluding that God exists. He also touches upon the idea in which he resolves that it cannot be a deceiver.
By examining Shakespeare’s use of sleep, one can determine that sleep portrays unnaturalness that happens throughout the play and changes people’s lives. Readers who would read this, would think this is just another royal tale but by reading this story, they find out that there is a twist in the plot. Sleep allows the witches in the play to cast spells and cause problems which mostly affects Macbeth’s mind. The unnaturalness comes during the time that everyone goes to sleep, which curtains them from anything good. Lastly, Lady Macbeth is becoming mentally ill from unnaturalness disturbing her from the choices she has made with Macbeth.
Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, is representative of his true faith. Seeing Faith personifying innocence and security is helpful to blatantly display how curiosity and sin stain spiritual faith. This faith was once innocent and pure, a source of protection and safety. Because of his curiosity, his faith is devalued and tarnished by the devil and the wilderness. He now has knowledge of the sinfulness that could be around him. This destroys his relationship with Faith and with God. The cheapening of Faith ruins his
It is my view that God exists, and I think that Aquinas’ first two ways presents a
In this world a person is suffering from stress put on his shoulder. Due to the amount of stress, naturally a person cannot sleep with a mind empty of worries. Sometimes a person gets disconnected from God. The disconnection from God along with the increasing amount of stress and of lack of sleep could lead a person to depression and losing hope in life. In Macbeth, the leading character, Macbeth suffers the same symptoms with an over stressed person in real life. Moreover, these symptoms begin when Macbeth kills King Duncan. Therefore, after killing King Duncan Macbeth, the noble character, suffers from serious problems that lead him into losing the hope of living.
1. In the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas concluded that our knowledge originates in sense perception, and that the purpose of knowledge is to be the entire universe through natural being, or esse intentionale. Aquinas said that knowledge must be universal, unchanging, and necessary. Being is knowing, and this includes being the entire material universe by knowing the entire material universe. The purpose of knowledge also includes being God, or knowing God. Knowing God consists of philosophy as a cause, theology as revealed, and beatific vision as God, which can only occur after death – all of which is achievable only through the actions of God. Aquinas concludes that a person cannot achieve the purpose of knowledge alone, we
This paper's purpose is to prove the existence of God. There are ten main reasons that are presented in this paper that show the actuality of God. It also shows counter-arguments to the competing positions (the presence of evil). It also gives anticipatory responses to possible objections to the thesis.
Thomas Aquinas uses five proofs to argue for God’s existence. A few follow the same basic logic: without a cause, there can be no effect. He calls the cause God and believes the effect is the world’s existence. The last two discuss what necessarily exists in the world, which we do not already know. These things he also calls God.
(In this play, there are many main characters that are unable to sleep because of their uneasy mental state: Banquo is dreaming of the witches’ prophecy; Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking due to her overwhelming guilt; Macbeth is not able to sleep because of several issues he had faced.) (In the world of Macbeth, the motif of sleep was mostly associated with guilt and fear. As the characters experience these things, they were usually restless to show the extent of their guilt and fear.) (Sleeping, as we know, is one of the most basic and natural thing human beings have to do in order to survive. Only with applying this concept to Macbeth, can we fully understand the horror of inability to sleep suffered by characters in the play.)
As soon as the murder had happened, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had switched places and Macbeth becomes more superior which helps him make his own decisions while Lady MAcbeth felt ashamed and was having trouble with her sleep now. Although before this, Macbeth was afraid, was having imaginings and Lady Macbeth would lie to him and say nothing was happening. The threat of no sleep “you lack the season of all natures, sleep.”(3.4.141) towards Macbeth did not help him but made him feel more guilty and