Saint Thomas Aquinas Writings Essay, Research Paper
In “Summa Contra Gentiles”, by Saint Thomas Aquinas, one of the major proofs of the existence of God is the second proof. The second proof is based on the “everything has a cause” theory. He states that there are ordered lines of efficient causes, and nothing can be it’s own cause. Yet it is impossible for the line of efficient causes to extend into infinity. Without this first efficient cause, explaining the effects caused after it would be impossible. There must be a initial cause, otherwise the chain reaction could not have begun. Without the first cause, none of the intermediate ones could exist, and the intermediate ones are the ones that cause the last causes. Therefore there must be a beginning to this line of causes. This is what we would name God. This makes God a little
easier to believe in because it gives the explanation to the beginning of life. It states how God is that first cause, and he started the chain reaction which continued, and in effect created more causes, until now. Without stating that God is the first cause, it would be very difficult to believe in, because what else could explain the first cause. Some people may say that the world began because of the “big bang” theory, which is a theory that states that the solar system was formed and life began from a giant explosion. Well the question I have for the people that say this is, “Who made the explosion happen?” Well I would answer the question God. To describe the first cause as being something other than God would be very difficult, if not impossible.