Fabros, Sarah Maria E.

3PHL

February 17, 2019

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.