The „second way” in the famous third article of Summa theologiae most closelycorresponds to all of Thomas’s own investigation into the existence of God. Onseveral occasions, when referring to its conclusion („there is a first effective cause”),Aquinas adds that the first cause is its own esse. The attributes of God are the consequencesof His structure as the esse itself. The first is that God is a one-elementbeing, in which existence is the only ontic material, and it has the nature of an act.It follows that existence is identified with an essence of God, His nature, life andall that God can be predicted („divinity” – deitas). God is understood to be thecause of all other beings, and He is not caused. This is what we call „subsistence”(ipsum subsistens). God’s immutability and eternity are simple consequences of Hissubsistent existence. God’s infinity and omnipresence are the derivative attributesof His existence. The whole group of such attributes can be recognized as theconsequences of his structure of the subsistent act of existence.The second group of attributes of God is the attributes which manifest theexistence of being. As such, they concern every being. However, the existence ofGod has absolute character as well as its attributes which manifest the existence.In relation to God, Thomas mentions here such attributes as the good, the truth, theunity, but there is no doubt that we can attribute to God the rest of transcendentals:reality, distinctiveness and beauty. Aquinas – basing here on metaphysical principleof proportionality of cause and effect – sees the source of perfection in God. Fromthis perspective we can talk about the personal nature of God, that is, His reasoning,freedom and love. Also, Thomas does not reject the existential perspective. Withinits framework, he solved the paradox of the omnipotence of God (can God createsomething more perfect than Himself?). Aquinas associates the concept of God’somnipotence with existence and states that it consists in the possibility of creatingevery being that can exist. This means that God does not contribute contradictoryontological internal structures.Thus, we can say that Thomas Aquinas in Summa theologiae outlines a coherentand quite complete conception of the essence of God, which is built within hisexistential theory of existence.
Evaluation of Thomas Aquinas’ Five Ways to Prove the Existence of God
