more from Thomas Aquinas

Single Idea 21272

[catalogued under 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / a. Cosmological Proof]

Full Idea

More and less are predicated of different things according as they resemble in their different ways something which is the maximum. The maximum of a genus is the cause of all in that genus. So there must be something causing the perfections of all beings.

Gist of Idea

Way 4: the source of all qualities is their maximum, so something (God) causes all perfections

Source

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

Book Reference

'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.85


A Reaction

[compressed] The argument makes a startling jump from each quality (like heat or nobility) having a maximum, to their being a single entity (a 'being' at that) which is the sole source of all human perfections.