The Thomistic Approach To A Knowledge Of God

Abstract

There is, today, a dire need for a philosophy which will put order into the chaos of modern thought; which will give mankind a refuge from neo-pagan racialism and atheistic communism; which will save man from himself; and which will reinthrone basic morality in its rightful place in the lives of individuals. There is need for re-enlightenment as to the fact and approach to the existence of God and the necessary relationship between Him and man. Contemporary thinking has attempted to deny these basic and all important truths. The new fad of anti-intellectualism seems to have erased the minds of men. Agnosticism and Godlessness, coupled with an utter lack of moral principles, is polluting man’s thinking and certainly his mode of living. Evidently we are reaping the disheartening fruits— if such they are of the older Positivism, Sensism, and Empiricism. Now the Positivists, the Sensists, and the Empiricists accept only that knowledge which can be known directly through the senses, that which we obtain by observation and experimentation. It is maintained that since we cannot put God under a microscope and see Him, He does not exist. Of course, at the opposite extreme there are some who maintain that God’s existence can be proved by our consciousness alone. Sense knowledge is unnecessary. Yet we can know God; and we can somehow know Him intuitively. This idealistic approach is just as inconsistent as that of the positivist. We said there is heed for a philosophy which will put order into contemporary chaotic thought— the chaos of activity will then and only then disappear. The noblest and most important task of philosophy is found in the highest realm of metaphysics — natural theology— which offers adequate proof for the existence of a God distinct from the world and a God who knows what His creatures do. Take away God and there Is no law, no natural right, no end for man outside himself (and any other end is absurd), no happiness, and no order. It is the purpose of this paper to show that there is a God.There is, today, a dire need for a philosophy which will put order into the chaos of modern thought; which will give mankind a refuge from neo-pagan racialism and atheistic communism; which will save man from himself; and which will reinthrone basic morality in its rightful place in the lives of individuals. There is need for re-enlightenment as to the fact and approach to the existence of God and the necessary relationship between Him and man. Contemporary thinking has attempted to deny these basic and all important truths. The new fad of anti-intellectualism seems to have erased the minds of men. Agnosticism and Godlessness, coupled with an utter lack of moral principles, is polluting man’s thinking and certainly his mode of living. Evidently we are reaping the disheartening fruits— if such they are of the older Positivism, Sensism, and Empiricism. Now the Positivists, the Sensists, and the Empiricists accept only that knowledge which can be known directly through the senses, that which we obtain by observation and experimentation. It is maintained that since we cannot put God under a microscope and see Him, He does not exist. Of course, at the opposite extreme there are some who maintain that God’s existence can be proved by our consciousness alone. Sense knowledge is unnecessary. Yet we can know God; and we can somehow know Him intuitively. This idealistic approach is just as inconsistent as that of the positivist. We said there is heed for a philosophy which will put order into contemporary chaotic thought— the chaos of activity will then and only then disappear. The noblest and most important task of philosophy is found in the highest realm of metaphysics — natural theology— which offers adequate proof for the existence of a God distinct from the world and a God who knows what His creatures do. Take away God and there Is no law, no natural right, no end for man outside himself (and any other end is absurd), no happiness, and no order. It is the purpose of this paper to show that there is a God.