This is off the top of my head so there may be better ways of putting it
First Way: The Argument From Motion
St. Thomas Aquinas concluded from common observation that an object that is in motion is put in motion by some other object or force. From this, Aquinas believes that ultimately there must have been an UNMOVED MOVER (GOD) who first put things in motion. Follow the agrument this way:
- Nothing can move itself.
- If every object in motion had a mover, then the first object in motion needed a mover.
- This first mover is the Unmoved Mover, called God.
The 'first mover' only suggests a first mover. It doesn't describe it. Therefore it only suggests the existence of a 'flobble' (a term I just invented). It says nothing about it being a sentient being and nothing about it's preferences for human hair styles (see above). There are several other descriptions of the universe that don't require a first mover and I'm not happy with any of them, but not knowing a reason doesn't in itself justify inventing one
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Second Way: Causation Of Existence
Aquinas concluded that common sense observation tells us that no object creates itself. In other words, some previous object had to create it. Aquinas believed that ultimately there must have been an UNCAUSED FIRST CAUSE (GOD) who began the chain of existence for all things. Follow the agrument this way:
- There exists things that are caused (created) by other things.
- Nothing can be the cause of itself (nothing can create itself.)
- There can not be an endless string of objects causing other objects to exist.
- Therefore, ther must be an uncaused first cause called God.
This is a restating of the first argument. He must have wanted to pad his lecture out. To answer them individually: 1) yes we have observed this. 2) This may be true, but isn't proven. (perhaps time is circular). In any case you now have to explain the existence of the Flobble which by Thomas' argument can not have created itself (See Occams Razor) 3) Perhaps the universe is infinite in which case this statement is false. It's certainly not proof of anything in itself 4) on this shaky start he suddenly deduces that it must be the christian god. Need we say more?
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Third Way: Contingent and Neccessary Objects
This Way defines two types of objects in the universe: contingent beings and necessary beings. A contingent being is an object that can not exist without a necessary being causing its existence. Aquinas believed that the existence of contingent beings would ultimately neccesitate a being which must exist for all of the contingent beings to exist. This being, called a necessary being, is what we call God.
- Contingent beings are caused.
- Not every being can be contingent.
- There must exist a being which is necessary to cause contingent beings.
- This necessary being is God.
A restatement of the first two really. He did like to waffle on
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Fourth Way: The Agrument From Degrees And Perfection
St. Thomas formulated this Way from an observation about the qualities of things. For example one may say that of two marble scultures one is more beautiful than the other. So for these two objects, one has a greater degree of beauty than the next. This is referred to as degrees or gradation of a quality. From this fact Aquinas concluded that for any given quality (e.g. goodness, beauty, knowledge) there must be an perfect standard by which all such qualities are measured. These perfections are contained in God.
This is poetry not logic so it's hard to know how to respond to it. Beauty may be said to be in the eye of the beholder. A statue of a beautiful woman would probably not be seen as such by a small lizard or vice versa. Therefore he is basing the existence of god on his own preferences for art
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Fifth Way: The Agrument From Intelligent Design
Aquinas states that common sense tells us that the universe works in such a way, that one can conclude that is was designed by an intelligent designer, God. In other words, all physical laws and the order of nature and life were designed and ordered by God, the intellgent designer.
A more complete explanation of St. Thomas' Fifth Way about God as Intelligent Designer can be seen on my web page dedicated
Evolution already took care of this one. However I'd add that in fact the so called 'intelligent designer' made so many mistakes that this is an argument for the other side