Abstract
In considering what we can know about God, Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224–1274) held that there were three basic sources of knowledge: natural reason (which is rooted in the observation of the effects of God’s activities embodied in his creatures), public revelation (of which the Bible is the most prominent instance) and mystical experience (which, because of its private nature, cannot supply evidence to the science of theology). Grounding his reflections in the philosophy of Aristotle and developing a concept of analogical knowledge, Aquinas argued that natural reason could readily attain to the knowledge of God’s existence as well as to a limited set of divine attributes (e.g., necessity, eternity, immateriality, perfection, goodness, simplicity, uniqueness, intelligence, etc). Public revelation, which on his view it is reasonable to accept, affirms what is knowable by natural reason and supplements it in very substantial ways with knowledge that natural reason cannot attain by itself.
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Notes
- 1.
Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, first part, question 1, article 2. All references in these notes are to works of Aquinas.
- 2.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 12, article 3. See also Commentary on the De Trinitate of Boethius, question 6, article 4; and Disputed Questions On Truth, question 10, article 11.
- 3.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 13, article 2. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 14.
- 4.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 2, article 2. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 3, 12 and 29.
- 5.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 32–34.
- 6.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 4, article 3.
- 7.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 32–34.
- 8.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 10.
- 9.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 2, article 3.
- 10.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 44, article 1, reply to objection 2. See also Commentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle, book 5, lesson 6.
- 11.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 47, article 1.
- 12.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 13, for example.
- 13.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 2, article 3.
- 14.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 10, article 2. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 15.
- 15.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 2, article 3. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 13.
- 16.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 4, article 1. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 16 and 28.
- 17.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 29.
- 18.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 6. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 37–41.
- 19.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 5, article 1. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 37–38.
- 20.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 39.
- 21.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 14, article 1. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 44.
- 22.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 14, article 1.
- 23.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 44, articles 1 and 3.
- 24.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 2, article 3.
- 25.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 1, article 1. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapters 3–5.
- 26.
Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 3.
- 27.
Disputed Questions on Truth, question 10, article 13. See also Summa contra gentiles, book 1, chapter 3.
- 28.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 46, article 2.
- 29.
Summa theologiae, first part, question 12, article 11. See also Commentary on the De Trinitate of Boethius, question 6, article 4.
References
Anton C. Pegis. 1955. Summa contra gentiles (vol. 1, trans.). New York: Image Books.
James V. McGlynn, S.J. 1953. Disputed questions on truth (Quaestiones disputatae de veritate) (vol. 2, trans.). Chicago: Henry Regnery.
John P. Rowan. 1961. Commentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle (vol. 1, trans.). Chicago: Henry Regnery.
Sr. Rose Emmanuella Brennan, SHN. 1946. The trinity and the unicity of the intellect (Commentary on the De Trinitate of Boethius) (trans.). St Louis, MO: Herder.
Thomas Gilby (general editor). 1964–1973. Summa theologiae. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Kennedy, R.G. (2013). Thomas Aquinas: Model of God. In: Diller, J., Kasher, A. (eds) Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5219-1_14
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