Fabros, Sarah Maria E. February 17, 2019

3PHL

SYLLOGISMS ON THE FIVE WAYS OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

FIRST WAY: ON MOTION:

-All things are put to motion by another.

-But motion is an effect from a first mover who is responsible for the entire series of motion.

Therefore: All things that are put to motion are caused by a first mover who is responsible

for the entire series of motion.

SECOND WAY: ON CAUSALITY

- Existence denotes a cause.

-Things are caused by something the same with its kind.

Therefore: Existence is caused by something the same with its kind.

-But, when we fail to resolve to the first one that caused our causation, we must be created by

something greater than our kind.

Therefore: There is something greater than or kind that caused our causation

THIRD WAY: ON CONTINGENT AND NECESSARY BEINGS

-Contingent beings are those that are conditional to exist.

-But rational beings, sensient beings, vegetative beings and minerals are contingent beings.

Therefore: Rational beings, sensient beings, vegetative beings and minerals are conditional

to exist.

-But if these beings are conditional to exist, there must be a Necessary Being that is uncontingent

and timeless to account for their coming to being.

Therefore: There is a Necessary Being that is uncontingent and timeless that accounts for

thecoming to being of rational beings, sensient beings, vegetative beings and minerals

which are conditional to exist.

FOURTH WAY: ON GRADATION OF BEINGS

-All beings have perfections.

-Perfections have different levels.

Therefore: All beings have different level of perfections.

-But perfection of beings are determined according to their kind, may it be rational, sentient,

vegetative or mineral.

Therefore: Level of perfection of beings differ according to their kind.

-But rational beings, as the most perfect beings among the kinds, fall short of reason.

Therefore: There is a perfect being that is greater than rational beings that does not fall

short of reason, and is the greatest of all perfections.

FIFTH WAY: ON INTELLIGENT DESIGN

-The universe has order.

-Order is only accounted by an Intelligence behind it.

Therefore: An Intelligence accounted the order of the universe.

-The universe has been created long even without the existence of rational beings.

Therefore: The universe has been created by an Intelligence that does not belong to the

rational beings.