Reading Aquinas's Five Ways: The Arguments for God in Summa Theologiae

by Peter Weigel

Overview

Thomas Aquinas's famous five arguments for God's existence, or 'Five Ways,' in Summa theologiae Ia q.2 a.3 are a cornerstone of thought and discussion about God and are still much debated today. In this book Peter Weigel provides the philosophical background, particularly surrounding Aquinas's metaphysics and theory of causation, needed to understand the Five Ways and examines the thinking behind the premises of these often difficult arguments. Weigel also considers larger issues surrounding arguing for God's existence beyond Aquinas's views, including more recent philosophical and scientific developments. He introduces readers to a wide array of thinkers and positions on the issues surrounding arguments for God, considers objections and other views from numerous historical and contemporary sources, and contemplates how Aquinas might respond to them. Written in clear prose with full explanations of technical concepts, his book will benefit a wide range of readers from undergraduates to advanced scholars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009470414
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/19/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Peter Weigel is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Washington College in Maryland. He is the author of Aquinas on Divine Simplicity (2008).

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Approaching the Five Ways; 2. On causes and giving an account; 3. Why is there something rather than nothing?; 4. The First Way; 5. The Second Way; 6. The Third Way; 7. The Fourth Way; 8. The Fifth Way; 9. Concluding remarks.

Editorial Reviews

‘Book length studies of the ‘Five Ways' are rare, so this book fills a definite gap in the literature on Aquinas and does so very well.  Weigel explains in detail what the Ways argue and how other texts by Aquinas are relevant to understanding their content and function in the Summa Theologiae. He also documents a range of published criticisms of the Ways while commenting on them in a judicious and professional manner.' Brian Davies, Fordham University

From the Publisher