Medieval Philosophy - Essay Example

Medieval Philosophy Motion is one of the first three arguments Saint Thomas Aquinas presented for the existence of God. Aquinas believes that motion to be an easy way of proving the existence of God. He says that “in nature things that could either exist or not exist, since they are found to be generated, and then to corrupt; and, consequently, they can exist, and then not exist” (Bowie, 59). For example, a butterfly could either exist, or not exist, it cannot be in limbo. All things in nature are also found to be generated, or found to be an offspring of a paternal or maternal being that holds the same characteristics.

Aquinas further says that “for what which can one day cease to exist must at some time have not existed” (Bowie, 59).For all creatures that do exist, there must have been some time when they were not in life, a time when the first butterfly, for instance, came into existence. Aquinas proposes that butterflies weren’t always fluttering about, but rather that a first butterfly was created from which all following butterflies were procreated. Consequently, the bigger question turning to be what caused the creation of the first butterfly?

Aquinas said: “If everything could cease to exist, then at one time there could have been nothing in existence” (Bowie, 59). This indicates that since all things in nature can cease to exist, or to never begin to exist, then at one time there would have been nothing in existence, since that the first thing came into life and procreated all successors. To this, Aquinas states that “if this were true, even now there would be nothing in existence, because that which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing” (Bowie, 59).

Thus, this indicates that if there was nothing in being, then there would be nothing in existence now, but we know this is not correct due to the immense amount of unique animals and plants on Earth, not to mention the immensity of space and surrounding galaxies. (Gilson, 1956)Anything in motion, according to Aquinas, is moved by something else. He then describes one type of motion as the diminution of something from potentiality to realism, and states that nothing can make this movement apart from a thing that is already in realism in the same esteem as the first object is in potentiality.

For instance, something which is in fact hot, like flames, makes something which is potentially hot, like wood, to be really hot. (Weisheipl, 1974)Clearly stated, it is obvious to realize that those beings that can’t owe their existence to another being sharing the same characteristics, must then owe their existence to the very first being, God. With this, Aquinas inconspicuously implies that time does not go on forever, that there must have been an existence made by an intelligent creator - that the regress cannot go on forever.

Think about, for example, the evolutionary theory as the major objection to this theory. The evolutionary theory states that there is a gradual evolution by natural selection to beings who bear the following characteristics: (1.) they must be replicators, (2.) they must have variation that is heritable and (3.) their variations make a difference in the rate of replication.Fundamental evolution tells us that cells are formed from different chemicals and materials. Symbiotic theory says one cell would harbor inside the other, in a mutually benefiting condition, and this in turn made the now, eukaryotic cell, specific for higher processes, due to the fact that each cell part was responsible for a certain task within the cell.

(Porter, 1992) These first cells clumped together to form higher beings and higher beings created even more complex higher beings. This process of science proved that although a god might be responsible for the existence of beings, it was proved that one does not need a god to account for it.Aquinas further explains many of the situations in which there could be a case in proving the existence of God. His third way, possibility and necessity, though written in the 1200s, is still relevant to new millennium.

Although many philosophers still argue the fact that evolution alone began the deviation of new species, could it be that Aquinas was begging for us to question, what caused the world to evolve the way it did? This possibly isnt an argument over whether God exists or not, but rather of whether we have a nature to want to believe for personal reasons alone.Works CitedBowie, Michaels, Solomon. Twenty Questions. Orlando: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000 St. Thomas Aquinas. “Whether God Exists”. Pp. 57-59Gilson, E. (1956). The Christian Philosophy of St.

Thomas Aquinas. New York: Random House.Porter, J. (1992). Rethinking religious classics: Aquinas and public disputation. Christian Century, 109, 1100-1103.Weisheipl, J. (1974). Friar Thomas DAquino: His life, thought, and work. New York: Doubleday.