Thomas Aquinas Fourth Way Notes PDF

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Note overview provided by Professor Thompson regarding Thomas Aquinas' Fourth Way...

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Thomas Aquinas’ Fourth Way One main difference between the first three Ways and the 4th Way is that only the 4th Way deals directly with morality. The, so called, "Qualities" Aquinas uses in the 4th way are qualities of GOOD AND EVIL. Our own personal Morality effects the experiences we have. In this sense, our personal view of the Good and Evil Qualities based in our own experiences are not simply "ideas". The "highest degree of said quality" is nothing other than the GOOD of individuals. Such individuals recognize that they are Free to reflect on how Good, Good can be. This is the idea of a sliding scale between Good and Evil, which Aquinas holds ALL humans have. The existence of God within this human framework is necessitated, because human beings always control this sliding scale. According to Aquinas, human beings need to be accounted for in the 5 Ways, because human beings exist just like Motion, Causation and Contingency exist. Remember: Aquinas is using Paul's idea that one can know of the existence of God, simply by understanding the experiences humans have. Human beings are different from physical matter, in that they are Free to Choose. Since human beings are Free, they would be able to understand that they choose things they understand as Good and avoid choosing things they understand as Evil. Physical Matter (The First 3 Ways) does not do this, therefore Aquinas adds the 4th Way to understand what Humans do....