Whether it can be demonstrated that God exists?
The structure of the text follows the same template throughout. The book is separated into Parts within each of which are Questions within each of which are Articles. The above is Article 2 of Question 2 of the First Part.
Objection 1: It seems that the existence of God cannot be demonstrated. For it is an article of faith that God exists. But what is of faith cannot be demonstrated, because a demonstration produces scientific knowledge; whereas faith is of the unseen (Heb. 11:1). Therefore it cannot be demonstrated that God exists.
Objection 2: Further, the essence is the middle term of demonstration. But we cannot know in what God's essence consists, but solely in what it does not consist; as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. i, 4). Therefore we cannot demonstrate that God exists
Objection 3: Further, if the existence of God were demonstrated, this could only be from His effects. But His effects are not proportionate to Him, since He is infinite and His effects are finite; and between the finite and infinite there is no proportion. Therefore, since a cause cannot be demonstrated by an effect not proportionate to it, it seems that the existence of God cannot be demonstrated.
The subject of the article that is posed is then met with three objections. The objections are stated usually include a reference to a previous text to support and validate this objection. Notice that each of the objections ends a conclusion. These conclusions represent the argument which Augustine sets out to debate.
On the contrary, The Apostle says: "The invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1:20). But this would not be unless the existence of God could be demonstrated through the things that are made; for the first thing we must know of anything is whether it exists.
Of course, an argument is impossible if there is not an oppositional position to be taken. And so each of the conclusions made by the three objections is met with a counterargument that usually—though not comprehensively—is provided through reference to the Bible as the most authoritative voice on the subject. In the place of scripture is sometimes found another authoritative reference such as Aristotelian philosophical writings.
I answer that, Demonstration can be made in two ways: One is through the cause…The other is through the effect…When an effect is better known to us than its cause, from the effect we proceed to the knowledge of the cause. And from every effect the existence of its proper cause can be demonstrated, so long as its effects are better known to us…if the effect exists, the cause must pre-exist. Hence the existence of God, in so far as it is not self-evident to us, can be demonstrated from those of His effects which are known to us.
The actual argument from Aquinas begins with “I answer that,” and then proceeds to do just that. Usually, this also involves a process of clarification in order to ensure the reader fully understands what is at stake in the debate. Any intricacies of complexity on the issue are also addressed and the debate is engaged with the final assertion being the author’s concluding statement on the broader issue addressed in the opening Article. Individual replies to each of the objections usually follow, but only for the purpose of apply more specific material and great depth in bolstering the answer provided by Aquinas.
