St. Thomas Aquinas Proving Gods Existence Essay

Thomas Aquinas inherently affirmed in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Born in Italy in 1225 to a noble family, Thomas was one of at least nine children. He was a highly educated man, beginning his education at the Abbey of Monte Cassino, moving on to the University of Naples. Thomas had a strong belief in God and aspired to prove God’s actuality. During his life, Aquinas produced numerous works on the subject the most notable being the Summa contra Gentiles and the Summa Theologica . He leaves us a legacy as a great theologian and philosopher, often compared to Aristotle. â€Å"Much of Thomas’s personal studies went into ‘exposition’, as he usually called it, of works of Aristotle. Having embarked on what would become the Summa†¦show more content†¦Goodness itself, truth itself, and intellect itself. â€Å"According to Aquinas Goodness truth or intelligence are not attributes of God but, they are understood by us. Accordingly we m ust first show that every agent, by its action, intends an end. For in those things which clearly act for an end, we declare the end to be that towards which the movement of the agent tends; for when this is reached, the end is said to be reached, and to fail in this is to fail in the end intended.† (Pegis 429) â€Å"In Summa contra Gentiles Aquinas writes, â€Å"Nothing tends to something as its end, except insofar as this is good†¦ that which is the supreme good is supremely the end of all†¦ Therefore all things are directed to the Supreme good, namely God, as their end.† Echoing Aristotle, he states that this ultimate good cannot be wealth, because wealth is â€Å"not sought except for the sake of something else†; it cannot be power, because power is â€Å"unstable† and can be abused; it cannot consist of indulging the senses, since this is â€Å"common to man and other animals†; and it cannot be the goods of the body, such as health, beauty, and strength, because â€Å"the soul is better than the body.† The supreme good, therefore, can be only the contemplation of God, now and in the life to come, where the soul isShow MoreRelated Thomas Aquinas Work to Prove the Existence of God Essays1013 Words   |  5 PagesChristian, Thomas Aquinas n aturally believed in God, but he wanted to prove Gods existence to those who could not accept things on faith alone. 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