The Thomistic Institute
The Fifth Way | Fr. Stephen Brock
Aug 22, 2018
Fr. Stephen Brock discusses purposeful activity in nature and a divine governor, exploring the intelligent behavior of natural entities and the concept of God. The podcast delves into the Fifth Way of understanding God's existence through intelligence, divine justice, creation of natures, teleology, and governance in the world.
01:03:31
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Quick takeaways
- Thomas's Summa Theologiae sketches hint at God's existence, needing philosophical elaboration.
- The fifth way argues that natural bodies exhibit intelligent tendencies towards self-preservation and conservation.
Deep dives
Thomas's Skeptical Presentations in the Suma
Thomas's presentations in the Summa Theologiae, rather than being full-fledged proofs, are considered as sketches that need further elaboration. These sketches hint at Thomas's belief that proving the existence of God belongs to philosophy, with natural theology holding significance. The assumption is that readers of the Summa have already undergone extensive philosophical education.
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