1. Aquinas’ three ways Learning Objective
To be able to explain the Cosmological Argument
Learning Outcomes
To know the key vocab: a priori, a posteriori, infinity
To explain Aquinas’ three ways

2. Your quiz
Which type of argument can offer proof, if the premises are true?
What type of premise is based on logic?
What is the name of the first argument we will look at?
Who influenced Aquinas?
What is the name of the people sitting on both sides of you?

3. The Unmoved mover Example
Think of a toy in a toy box
Imagine playing with them
Is there anything they have in common?
What is needed to change them?
How do you know this? A posteriori or a priori?
Recap key words
A posteriori – based on evidence – after experience
A priori – based on logic – before/prior to experience

4. Way 1: The Argument for an Unmoved Mover
Extract from Summa Theologiae: pages 3-4
What ever is in motion must be put in motion by another. If that by which is put into motion be itself in motion , then this also must needs be put in motion by another and that by another again. But this cannot go on to infinity because then there would be no first mover, and consequential, no other mover.

5. Now think about it… Sort Activity
Write the numbers in the correct order in the margin of your page/white board
1. The moved is moved by something else.
2. But the chain can’t be infinite (go on forever)
3. God
4. Everything that moves is moved by something else.
5. Therefore there must be an unmoved mover.

6. Aquinas’ First Way
There are various types of motion (change): change of place, change of size and change of state. It was the last one that Aquinas had in mind. Here movement has the sense of moving from potentiality to actuality.
Everything that moves is moved by something else.
The moved is moved by something else.
But the chain can’t be infinite (go on forever)
Therefore there must be an unmoved mover.
God

7. Explaining Aquinas’ example
Potential heat
Fire
Actual heat
Wood is potentially hot, to be hot it has to be changed by fire
‘What is potentially x is not actually x, yet the actually x can only be produced by something that is actually x’ Cole

8. Dependency Argument
Aquinas is not arguing that the universe necessarily had a beginning. He thought it did, but said that you could not reason that out as it was revealed doctrine (meaning revealed by God). Rather his emphasis was on dependency
Christian theology teaches that God sustains the universe (if no God existed there would be no universe) therefore there must be an initiator of the change, whose continued existence is depended upon by other things.
For example A play depends on

9. Task Self assess your answer on page 4 of the initial booklet
Success Criteria
You must explain the first way – motion and change
You must use the examples of Wood and Fire and the Block of Marble and the Sculptor (from the Lawson textbook)
You must include an explanation of Aquinas’ Dependency Argument.
Peer Assess – literacy focus words – have they included and explained – a posteriori, motion, actual, potential

10. Mini Plenary – altogether now!
Everything that ____________ is moved by something else.
The moved is moved by _________ _______.
But the chain can’t be _________(go on forever)
Therefore there must be an ___________ mover.

11. Recap key words A priori A posteriori Inductive Deductive
Theistic proof
Natural Theology

12. Recap- imposter Which statement is the imposter?
Aquinas’ cosmological arguments are inductive as they offer probability not proof
The cosmological argument is a priori and uses evidence from the world around us to prove God exists
Aquinas called motion ‘the reduction of something from potentiality to actuality’
In order to be changed – for potential to become actual – there must be a third party involved, Aristotle called it, the ‘efficient cause’ e.g. the fire and sculptor

13. The second way The uncaused cause
Learning Objective
To analyse the second way
Learning Outcomes
To know the argument of the uncaused cause
To explain key words: efficient cause, infinity, a posteriori and a priori

14. What is a ‘cause’? Discuss a definition of the word ‘cause’.
Tell your partner 3 causes that led to you being in year 12 at Pontefract New College (you don’t need to write them down)

15. The uncaused cause
You probably found that the chain of cause and effect appears to have no end and could go on for ever. But you may also have wondered how, in that case, the whole chain got started in the first place.
Supporters of the Cosmological Argument believe that chains like this just have to get started by something and that this something must be uncaused - God.

16. Way 2: The Argument of the Uncaused Cause
Extract from Summa Theologica: page 9
In the world of sense we find there is an order of efficient causes… Now to take away the cause is to take away the effect. Therefore, if there be no first cause among efficient causes, there will be no ultimate, nor any intermediate cause

17. And think about it again…
1. Nothing can cause itself – logical impossibility .
4. Everything has a cause (is contingent)
5. However there cannot be an infinite number of causes – then there would be no first cause
2. Therefore there must be an uncaused cause
3. God
Sort activity

18. Aquinas’ Second Way Everything has a cause (is contingent)
Nothing can cause itself – logical impossibility
However there cannot be an infinite number of causes – then there would be no first cause
Therefore there must be an uncaused cause
God
This way follows Aristotle, things do not cause themselves, they cannot be their own agents. Therefore, there must be a first cause - God

19. Summary
The second way sees God as a factual necessity, as the causal explanation for the universe. God is not just the first cause in a chain of causes; he is the one on whom all subsequent causes depend.
God is not dependent on anything for His existence.

20. Examples Efficient cause – First efficient cause is God
The baker and the bread
Dominoes
Efficient cause – First efficient cause is God
Intermediate cause
Ultimate cause
Aquinas did not use the domino example- but you can use it to demonstrate understanding

21. Exam Focus Task
Self-assess your explanation of Aquinas’ second way – have you included direct quotes from Aquinas?
Check that you have these words in the paragraph
Aquinas – the five statements – cause and effect
Universe caused by God – can’t be efficient cause of itself – as would have had to bring itself into existence
Efficient cause – dominoes
Infinite regress – why did Aquinas reject it? This is very important and often ignored by students
You can add - Aristotle - Dough, baker, bread

22. Mini Plenary Summarise the second way in 10 words Now 5 words
Create a mnemonic to help you remember the second way

23. Aquinas’ Third Way Possibility and Necessity
Learning Objective
To analyse the third way
Learning Outcomes
To know key terms; possibility, contingent and necessity
To be able to explain the third way; Possible and the Necessary.

24. Recap Quick activity Unscramble the key words Gentinconcy
Grreess faintein
Steisth
Discuss definitions in pairs – feedback to class

25. To understand this theory you must know . .
Contingent – dependant on something else Possible – things are possible to be and not to be, they start and end. It is impossible for these things to always exist Necessary – the opposite of contingent. A necessary being has no cause and depends on nothing else for its existence

26. What, if anything, is the existence of the following contingent upon?
Life on planet earth
Your own existence
The continuing good health of your neighbour’s cat
A successful marriage
Public trust in politicians
An acrobat balancing on top of a human pyramid
The whole universe

27. Aquinas’ Third Way – page 5
Individual things come into existence and later cease to exist and are dependent on factors beyond themselves
Therefore – at one time none of them was in existence
But – something comes into existence only as a result of something else that already exists
Therefore there must be a being whose existence is necessary on which all things depend
God

28. Explanation
If at one time there was nothing there would be nothing now, because nothing comes from nothing.
Therefore, we must accept some being having it’s own necessity, and not receiving it from another, but rather causing in others there necessity = God
Things are contingent in two ways
Depend on something having brought them into existence e.g. volcanic rock depends on there being the right minerals, sufficient heat etc. cause in fieri
Depends on outside factors for the continuation of their existence (plants depend on light from the sun) cause in esse

29. Recap quiz Contingency Infinite Finite Possible Necessary
Dependency argument
A priori
A posteriori

30. Example - The relationship of a parent to a child
An example to support Aquinas’ argument was developed by a modern scholar called Copleston. Without the existence of a parent, the child can not come into existence. Or, to put it another way, the child is contingent on the parent for its existence
Parent –
Child -

31. Tasks
Self-assess your explanation of Aquinas’ Third Way. Have you included direct quotes from Aquinas?
Literacy focus
Include: contingent, necessary being, possibility, infinite, parent and child analogy

32. Homework Revision for the initial assessmen
You are going to create your own card sort activity on Aquinas’ three ways.
List the key facts (in simple form) on paper – cut them up into separate statements
Include the premises and conclusion, the example and the dependency argument

33. Revision
Activity one - Key word bingo A posteriori Valid Natural theology Aquinas Plato Aristotle Summa Theologica Inductive Deductive Cause Mover Theistic proof Christianity Sound A priori
Activity two
Either
Choose five of the words on the list and put them together into a paragraph – that makes sense – and demonstrates your understanding of meaning Or
Choose five of the words that you are unsure about and check your notes from the last lessons and create a key word list