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Single Idea 21266

[filed under theme 29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 3. Problem of Evil / a. Problem of Evil ]

Full Idea

If one of two contraries be infinite, the other would be altogether destroyed. But the name God means that He is infinite goodness. If therefore God existed there would be no evil discoverable; but there is evil in the world. Therefore God does not exist.

Gist of Idea

God does not exist, because He is infinite and good, and so no evil should be discoverable

Source

Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologicae [1265], Ia,Q02,Art3,Ob1)

Book Ref

'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.82

A Reaction

This is not, of course, the opinion of Aquinas. I love the way he states the opposition's arguments so lucidly. The modern problem usually talks of God's omnipotence, rather than infinity. His formulation allows that there might be undiscoverable evil.

Related Idea

Idea 21274 It is part of God's supreme goodness that He brings good even out of evil [Aquinas]

The 61 ideas from 'Summa Theologicae'

22107 Sensations are transmitted to 'internal senses' in the brain, chiefly to 'phantasia' and 'imagination' [Aquinas, by Kretzmann/Stump]
22111 Aquinas attributes freedom to decisions and judgements, and not to the will alone [Aquinas, by Kretzmann/Stump]
8009 Aquinas wanted, not to escape desire, but to transform it for moral ends [Aquinas, by MacIntyre]
5508 Aquinas says a fertilized egg is not human, and has no immortal soul [Aquinas, by Martin/Barresi]
20211 Life aims at the Beatific Vision - of perfect happiness, and revealed truth [Aquinas, by Zagzebski]
5614 If you assume that there must be a necessary being, you can't say which being has this quality [Kant on Aquinas]
22106 Aquinas saw angels as separated forms, rather than as made of 'spiritual matter' [Aquinas, by Kretzmann/Stump]
21251 We can't know God's essence, so his existence can't be self-evident for us [Aquinas]
21250 A proposition is self-evident if the predicate is included in the essence of the subject [Aquinas]
21249 Some things are self-evident to us; others are only self-evident in themselves [Aquinas]
21248 If the existence of truth is denied, the 'Truth does not exist' must be true! [Aquinas]
9092 Abstracting A from B generates truth, as long as the connection is not denied [Aquinas]
9093 We understand the general nature of things by ignoring individual peculiarities [Aquinas]
9097 The mind abstracts generalities from images, but also uses images for understanding [Aquinas]
9095 Very general ideas (being, oneness, potentiality) can be abstracted from thought matter in general [Aquinas]
9096 The mind must produce by its own power an image of the individual species [Aquinas]
9094 Mathematical objects abstract both from perceived matter, and from particular substance [Aquinas]
9099 Particular instances come first, and (pace Plato) generalisations are abstracted from them [Aquinas]
9098 Mental activity combines what we sense with imagination of what is not present [Aquinas]
15812 Being implies distinctness, which implies division, unity, and multitude [Aquinas]
23306 Humans have a non-physical faculty of reason, so they can be immortal [Aquinas, by Sorabji]
22399 Temperance prevents our passions from acting against reason [Aquinas]
22112 For humans good is accordance with reason, and bad is contrary to reason [Aquinas]
22114 Tyrannical laws are irrational, and so not really laws [Aquinas]
22113 Right and wrong actions pertain to natural law, as perceived by practical reason [Aquinas]
16687 Bodies are three-dimensional substances [Aquinas]
16765 Humans only have a single substantial form, which contains the others and acts for them [Aquinas]
21337 A knowing being possesses a further reality, the 'presence' of the thing known [Aquinas]
21266 God does not exist, because He is infinite and good, and so no evil should be discoverable [Aquinas]
21274 It is part of God's supreme goodness that He brings good even out of evil [Aquinas]
21268 Non-human things are explicable naturally, and voluntary things by the will, so God is not needed [Aquinas]
21267 Supposing many principles is superfluous if a few will do it [Aquinas]
21269 Way 1: the infinite chain of potential-to-actual movement has to have a first mover [Aquinas]
21270 Way 2: no effect without a cause, and this cannot go back to infinity, so there is First Cause [Aquinas]
21271 Way 3: contingent beings eventually vanish, so continuity needs a necessary being [Aquinas]
21272 Way 4: the source of all qualities is their maximum, so something (God) causes all perfections [Aquinas]
21273 Way 5: mindless things act towards an obvious end, so there is an intelligent director [Aquinas]
22105 The human intellectual soul is an incorporeal, subsistent principle [Aquinas]
22108 First grasp what it is, then its essential features; judgement is their compounding and division [Aquinas]
7291 For Aquinas a war must be in a just cause, have proper authority, and aim at good [Aquinas, by Grayling]
23173 If a syllogism admits one absurdity, others must follow [Aquinas]
20224 Sensation prepares the way for intellectual knowledge, which needs the virtues of reason [Aquinas]
23174 Natural law is a rational creature's participation in eternal law [Aquinas]
23176 Truth is universal, but knowledge of it is not [Aquinas]
23175 The conclusions of speculative reason about necessities are certain [Aquinas]
4412 Those in bliss have their happiness increased by seeing the damned punished [Aquinas]
22494 We must know the end, know that it is the end, and know how to attain it [Aquinas]
23177 Justice directs our relations with others, because it denotes a kind of equality [Aquinas]
23178 Divine law commands some things because they are good, while others are good because commanded [Aquinas]
23179 People differ in their social degrees, and a particular type of right applies to each [Aquinas]
23180 The will is the rational appetite [Aquinas]
23181 All acts of virtue relate to justice, which is directed towards the common good [Aquinas]
23182 Legal justice is supreme, because it directs the other virtues to the common good [Aquinas]
20621 Types of lying: Speak lies, intend lies, intend deception, aim at deceptive goal? [Aquinas, by Tuckness/Wolf]
10505 We can just think of an apple's colour, because the apple is not part of the colour's nature [Aquinas]
10504 Abstracting either treats something as separate, or thinks of it separately [Aquinas]
10503 We abstract forms from appearances, and acquire knowledge of immaterial things [Aquinas]
10507 Numbers and shapes are abstracted by ignoring their sensible qualities [Aquinas]
10506 Mathematics can be abstracted from sensible matter, and from individual intelligible matter [Aquinas]
10508 Species are abstracted from appearances by ignoring individual conditions [Aquinas]
10509 Understanding consists entirely of grasping abstracted species [Aquinas]