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The Thomistic Institute
Aquinas's Shortest Way to God’s Existence, and How Darwinism Fits Within It | Fr. Stephen Brock
Feb 5, 2025
Fr. Stephen Brock, a priest and professor of Medieval Philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, delves into Aquinas's argument for God's existence. He discusses how nature's goal-directed behavior suggests an underlying intelligence, despite lacking cognition. Brock highlights the tension between classical philosophy and Darwinism, proposing that both can coexist in understanding life's complexities. He uses the analogy of an archer and arrow to illustrate divine influence in nature, revealing a harmonious interplay between intellect and evolution.
50:48
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Quick takeaways
- Aquinas's argument for God's existence hinges on the idea that natural entities act purposefully under the direction of a governing intellect.
- The compatibility between Aquinas's philosophy and Darwinian evolution lies in recognizing inherent tendencies in nature despite randomness and chance events.
Deep dives
The Fifth Way: Proving God's Existence
Thomas Aquinas presents the fifth way to prove God's existence, focusing on the governance of natural things. He describes governance as directing activities toward a purpose, emphasizing that certain natural bodies, like rocks and plants, function with a goal despite lacking cognition. This observation indicates that they act consistently and in a manner that suggests an overseeing intellect or governor, which implies a divine nature. Unlike arguments based on beauty or order in the universe, this approach hones in on the purposeful actions of simple natural entities.
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