Theory Of Knowledge Essay, Research Paper

Joe Janszen

Doctrine 390

Paper # 1

10-1-00

Theory of Knowledge? First Short Paper

The incredulity of the being of God has been a to a great extent discussed subject since the being of adult male. Many philosophers have had many Hagiographas analysing the facts and possibilities to turn out this statement. Saint Thomas Aquinas is the philosopher whom best analyzes the facts in a manner for me to understand that God exists. Saint Thomas Aquinas can turn out the statement of the being of God in five ways. I have chosen to discourse the first paragraph in his thesis due to the least sum of confusion. The first paragraph contains the following from Saint Thomas Aquinas:

The first and more manifest manner is the statement from gesture. It is certain, and apparent to our senses, that in the universe some things are in gesture. Now whatever is moved is moved by another, for nil can be moved except it is potency to that towards which it is moved ; whereas a thing moves inasmuch as it is in act. For gesture is nil else that the decrease of something from potency to actuality. But nil can be reduced from potency to actuality, except by something in the province of actuality. Thus that which is really hot, as fire, makes wood, which is potentially hot, to be really hot, and thereby moves and alterations it. Now it is non possible that the same thing should be at one time in actuality and potency in the same regard, but merely in different respects. For what is really hot can non at the same time be potentially hot ; but it is at the same time potentially cold. It is hence impossible that in the same regard and in the same manner a thing should be both mover and moved, i.e. , that it should travel itself. Therefore, whatever is moved must be moved by another. If that by which it is moved be itself moved, so this besides must inevitably be moved by another, and that by another once more. But this can non travel on to eternity, because so there would be no first mover, and accordingly no other mover, seeing that subsequent movers move merely inasmuch as they are moved by the first mover ; as the staff moves merely because it is moved by the manus. Therefore it is necessary to get at a first mover, moved by no other ; and this everyone understands to be God.

In the transition, several statements are discussed to turn out that God exists. The trouble lies in the apprehension of potency and actuality. Keeping in head the focal point is to turn out that God exists was a good assistance in interpreting some of Aquinas? composing. Saint Thomas Aquinas starts his statement discoursing whatever is moved is moved by another. The motions all start with a first mover. The first mover moved another individual that was potentially traveling to be moved by person ( the first mover ) . Aquinas negotiations about the motion that could go on, did go on, and how it happened in footings of potency and actuality. For? X? which is in possible signifier, to go? Y? which is the actuality of possible? Ten? , so the lone manner for? Ten? to hold become? Y? is from something that was already in actuality signifier. This explains the mover traveling things.

In the illustration of the wood and fire, potency and actuality play a ke

y function in the apprehension of the being of God. Aquinas says for wood to travel from potentially to really hot, something must be applied to the wood. In this instance, fire would do the wood to travel from potentially hot to an existent hot province. It is impossible for the wood to be at the same time in a possible hot province and an existent hot province. Although, the wood in the existent hot province could be at the same time potentially cold when the fire is extinguished. The undermentioned statement may be an assistance in understanding potency and actuality. If an object is potentially? F, ? the lone manner for it to go really? F? is for it to be affected by? something in a province of actuality. ? In another sense, whatever is making the moving can be the thing that is moved in gesture. This demonstrates that this procedure can be looked at in the form of a circle. The procedure consists of alteration that started from some other alteration, and the alteration continues in a rhythm. If an object undergoes alteration, so there must be a cause of that alteration. The rhythm is possible capableness of a thing sing a alteration to go the existent. Then the existent will see a alteration to travel from possible to existent once more, a rhythm. The full procedure of wood going hot from fire starts with a first mover doing a concatenation reaction of motion.

In decision, since there is no eternity of action and all traveling takes topographic point in a rhythm, therefore the individual that is the first mover has ne’er itself been moved ( God-Y? Ten? Z? Y? Ten ) . In the terminal, Aquinas proves the unaffected mover is God. God is really in gesture and he causes the 2nd gesture. God is the capableness of traveling to potentially hot to really hot in the motion. God is at the same time really hot and cold. God started all the motion and he responsible for all actuality which makes him everything and great.

Saint Thomas Aquinas? statement is a really plausible statement to me. I have been raised all of my life in the Catholic faith and I do genuinely believe that God exists. It was instead hard to believe of the being of God in the manner of wood and fire. I had a job understanding the possibility of the motions being the same all the clip. If God was the first mover, so all motions should be in his favour. This raises the inquiry of why are at that place so many faiths that do non see God to be the chief first mover or that he even exists. Where did the moving alter people to detect ways of believing different Gods? It is obvious that this is non taken into consideration in Aquinas? statement. In the terminal, after analyzing all the factors, Aquinas? statement makes complete sense and I believe the chief thought is wholly true. God is the first mover and he is responsible for the beginning of all traveling. Aquinas proves this by explicating the mover of potency and actuality and how God is the full procedure.

Saint Thomas Aquinas? instructions are extremely favored by the Roman Catholic Church. The Church encourages the chief message that God is everything and everyplace. Aquinas proves that God started the motion of the universe and that God was the conceiver. The same motion that moved the possible to the existent province continues the same procedure today, distributing the actuality of God.

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