Faith and Reason

Anna Fink           

Dr. Schuler

Honors

3 October 2008 

                "... the truth of reason is not in opposition to the truth of the Christian faith." Thomas Aquinas started off chapter seven of Summa contra Gentiles with this sentence.  This is a basic one sentence summary of the whole chapter.  Thomas Aquinas tries to show how reason and faith live together, not in conflict, but in peace.

                Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican authority at the time in history when Aristotle's teachings were re-discovered.  Although his family was opposed to his involvement with the Dominican Order, he pursued his studies with the Order of Preachers. Knowing how closely Thomas studied Aristotle leaves no wonder as to why he would choose to investigate knowledge and reason like he did.

                In a post-modernistic world it continues to get increasingly difficult to define right and wrong. When Thomas was living rules of truth still applied.  There are three primary truths: the fact of people's existence, the principle of non-contradiction, and the ability of the mind to know truth. These truths are basic and must be agreed upon to have any organized discussion.  Thomas Aquinas does not focus on the first rule (the fact of people's existence) in this chapter, but instead shines light on the later two.

                Thomas writes at the end of the first paragraph, "It is impossible for the aforesaid truth of faith to be contrary to those principles which reason knows naturally." If this sentence refers to the principle on non-contradiction, what then is meant by it? Aristotle says, "For the same thing to hold and not to hold of the same thing at the same time and in the same respect is impossible" (qtd in Wedin 10). Michael V. Wedin explained, "It is a modal proposition, declaring that it is not possible for something to have a property and not to have it at the same time and in the same respect" (Wedin 10) Aristotle believed this to be the firmest primary truth. Aristotle was not a Christian man. He focused on ways of reason.  If Thomas represented his views, would he then not be representing pagan ideas? One can see how the seventh chapter of Thomas's book is trying to show the world that Aristotelian ideas are not separated from the church, but can be intergraded with the church. The "aforesaid truth" refers to the sentence that is quoted in the opening paragraph of this essay. Reason is not against faith; instead, faith and reason work together.

                Faith surpasses human knowledge.  "How great is God--beyond our understanding!" (Job 36:26) Yet everyone is created with a natural knowledge of God, just as everyone has reason instilled in themselves. This is seen in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Thomas Aquinas speaks of things that are ingrained in human minds by reason. Examples of this may be basic math skills that one can learn by observation, or the knowledge of the seasons. These things are so obvious to reason that it is near impossible to view them as false. In the same way, faith is made true by revelation. If God says something is true, and God made all things and knows all things, how can it be proved false?

                "Our intellect is stayed by contrary argument, so that it cannot advance to the knowledge of truth." Thomas Aquinas is saying here that human minds cannot reach truth if there are conflicting arguments for what truth is. According to the third primary truth, humans must possess the ability to find truth.  If God wants us to reach truth, how can he hinder us by putting conflicting arguments in our head? Therefore reason and faith must not conflict with each other but work together.

                Thomas Aquinas quotes Paul the Apostle, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," (Romans 10:8) He goes on to mention that even though reason and faith work together, faith can go beyond human understanding. One must not conclude from this that reason and faith are opposites, but instead, consider that reason is simply not enough to understand God alone.

Work Cited

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Jan. 9 2005. Stanford University. Oct. 2^nd 2008. < http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas/#A1>

Wedin, Michael V. "Aristotle on the Firmness of the Principle of Non-Contradiction." Phronesis 49.3 (Aug. 2004): 225-265. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Concordia University Library, St. Paul, MN. 1 Oct. 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=15226310&site=ehost-live>.