Thomistic Philosophy: God, Reality, and Ethics
The Reality: Hylomorphic Perspective
Where Does Reality Come From and What’s its Purpose?
Reality is a whole subject, hylomorphic. The first problem is to prove the existence of God.
Demonstrating the Existence of God
It is necessary to demonstrate the existence of God rationally.
- Is it necessary? Yes, because the existence of God in reality is not evident through the senses.
- Is it possible? Yes, because God imprints footprints in perceptible reality. From effects, we can reach the cause. This is the foundation of the rational demonstration of God: the law of cause and effect.
The Thomistic Ways: A Rational Demonstration
1st Way: The Path of Motion
Reality is subject to successive processes of change. God must be the Prime Mover that generates such movement.
2nd Way: The Law of Efficient Cause
All causes of sensible reality, in turn, are caused by others. God is the ultimate cause, the Uncaused Cause.
3rd Way: Contingency
All beings of Nature, though they exist, could not have existed. God, however, appears as the Necessary Being, the creator and origin of contingency.
4th Way: Grades of Perfection
Behind the degree of perfection of things, which are arranged in a hierarchy, there must be a being perfect to the highest degree, which originates it. God is that Perfect Being.
5th Way: Cosmic Order
Order is based on the objects that make up nature. Every natural object moves toward a particular purpose. The ultimate purpose and order of nature is God.
Nature and Attributes of God
- God’s essence and existence are identified. God’s very nature *is* existence.
- God is necessary, while everything else is contingent.
- God is pure existence, the absolute fullness of Being.
- God is infinite.
- Key attributes: First Mover, Source of Movement, Necessary Being, Perfect Being, Beginning and End.
Thomistic Ethics
For Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle, the ultimate goal pursued by human beings is happiness. Happiness depends on the development of our intellect. This intellectual development will make us understand the natural law, which manifests itself in human beings.
Human beings have certain tendencies that are rooted in nature; they are innate and have been planned by God. We have certain behaviors directed toward a specific end. Humans, therefore, create certain rules of conduct in accordance with the requirements of their own nature (in accordance with natural law).
The content of natural law follows the code of the natural tendencies of humans. This natural law contains the following provisions:
- Human beings tend to preserve their own existence.
- Human beings tend to procreate and preserve themselves as a species.
- Humans tend to know the truth and live in society.
The content of natural law is evident, universal, and immutable.
On the other hand, humans have other laws that are not innate. These laws are necessary in order to live and organize themselves in society. These laws stem from an agreement between people: laws, policies, and standards for the proper functioning of the social structure. These are called positive laws, such as those related to civil law. But for Thomas Aquinas, these laws are good only if they do not contradict natural law. They should be accepted if they meet or promote the precepts of natural law. It cannot be otherwise because, if they did, they would tend toward the destruction of human beings. The demands of natural law, therefore, must be respected by positive law.
Finally, natural law, in that it orders human conduct, is connected with the ordering of the universe, which depends on God. The divine law of the universe is called eternal or divine law. In this sense, nothing escapes the eternal or divine law, which ultimately governs the fate of all existence.