800 years ago, a scholar nicknamed “the dumb ox” proposed a simple proof of God’s existence – it changed everything. Centuries later, it’s now a famous argument known to theologians and atheists alike.

Though he was mocked in his day, Saint Thomas Aquinas is now revered as one of history’s greatest philosophers. His Summa Theologica is a masterpiece on God and the meaning to life. It contains his 5 Ways argument, which attempts to prove God’s existence through reason alone.

By itself, the 5 Ways doesn’t argue for religion, instead, it’s meant as a starting point to help you discover Truth and live a life of Goodness. But how specifically does it benefit you?
The 5 Ways does 3 things:
  1. Argues God exists.
  2. Cultivates your reason.
  3. Teach you to think metaphysically.

In other words, you learn how to build faith through reason, and see the world through the eyes of a classical philosopher. Now let’s explore the famous arguments:  

The 1st Way is the argument from MOTION
It argues:
  1. All things change or move
  2. Every motion is caused by another
  3. Infinite regress is impossible, so a 1st Mover (God), caused all motion

    I.E. Earth moves by gravity -> gravity by sun -> sun by … -> big bang moved by God

The 2nd Way is is the argument of CAUSE & EFFECT
It argues:
  1. Everything has a cause
  2. Nothing can cause itself
  3. Therefore, there’s an uncaused 1st cause (God)

    I.E. A child exists because of parents -> caused by their parents ->… caused by simple life forms -> caused by God

The 3rd Way is the argument of CONTINGENCY

It argues:
  1. Nature is contingent (things exists, and pass away)
  2. If everything was contingent, then at some time nothing could’ve existed
  3. Point 2 is impossible, because something cannot come from nothing
  4. Therefore, something exists eternally (God)
The 4th Way is the argument from DEGREES
It argues:
  1. We observe varying degrees of qualities (goodness, truth, etc.)
  2. These degrees imply an absolute – i.e. For anything to be “more good” or “less good” there must be an absolute good
  3. This absolute source of perfection is God
The 5th Way is the argument from DESIGN
It argues:
  1. Non-intelligent things act toward goals (plants grow toward sunlight)
  2. Non-intelligent things need a guiding force to achieve their goals
  3. Therefore, an intelligent being (God) directs all things toward their purpose
By themselves, the 5 Ways may almost seem underwhelming, but remember: The 5 Ways was just the beginning of Aquinas’ 3,000 page work. In other words, this argument is a mere starting point to know God and live a life of Beauty and Truth. What matters most is what you do next … 
Here’s what Aquinas wanted:

If you accept that God/an intelligent being designed the universe, then you’ve found your purpose in life:

Seek to know, understand, and love this being

Faith is not blind acceptance of facts, but an active seeking of the source of creation

This act of seeking the Truth informs you what true Goodness is

Only by discovering Goodness can you flourish as a human being

Thus, only by seeking the Creator can you know creation

Only by knowing the creator can you know yourself and live a True life of Beauty

This was written by Sean Berube and is taken from X/Twitter @SeanBerube4 edited by Revd Paul A. Carr