Aquinas and Descartes 77movement, since the second mover depends on the first, the third
on the second, etc. There must be then a first mover of the
universe. This first mover we call God.
2) The argumentfrom efficient cause: No being can be its own
efficient cause. Since the cause is necessarily anterior to its
effect, a being would have to be anterior to itself in order to be
its own efficient cause. This, of course, is impossible. The
material world is contingent, it is an intermediate cause in a
series of causes, thus requires a necessary uncreated being, a first
efficient cause. This first efficient cause, the cause of being, we
call God.
3) The argument from necessity: This proof begins by distin
guishing between possible and necessary. Possible is that which
is contingent, it can either be or not-be. It is not necessary. Also,
a possible thing has its existence from outside itself, from an
efficient cause. If all things were merely possible, everything
could not-be, and thus there would have been a moment when
nothing existed. If this were so, it would have been impossible
for anything to have begun to exist. Thus not all beings are
possible, something must be a necessary being, something
which exists independently. This necessary being, we call God.
4) The argument from degrees o f being: Some things are
good, bad, better, best. They are measured to be more or less
good as they approach something which is considered the
highest. If there are degrees of perfection, there must be a perfect
being whose existence makes it possible for things of relative
perfection to exist. This perfect being we call God.
5) The argument from design: It is obvious that there is order
in the universe. This order must be to some purpose. It cannot be
ordered by chance since chance means out of order and to no
purpose. This orderly situation could not have occurred by
chance, since then there would be an effect without a cause,
which is impossible. This order must be the product of an
intelligent being. “There cannot be a watch without a watch
maker.” The designer of the universe, this intelligent being, we
call God.
Thus the pagan philosophy of Aristotle was taken by Aquinas
and reconciled to Christian theology. Aristotle’s view of reason,
eudaemonism, teleoglogy, intellectual and moral virtue, the
state, and countless other philosophical concepts were used by