The
topics of faith and reason are often surrounded by much debate and
disagreement. Whether one chooses to
look to the Catholic Church's strong opposition of Galileo's heliocentric
universe or to the lack of God in the Big Bang Theory it becomes clear that
faith and reason have not always coexisted peacefully. In his Summa
Contra Gentiles Aquinas makes several arguments for the existence of
harmony between faith and reason. In the
seventh chapter of this document, titled "That the truth of reason is not in
opposition to the truth of the Christian faith," He refers to the first
principle, of non-contradiction, and the first condition, the ability of the
mind to know truth, to help support his position.
In regard to the first principle,
Aquinas makes both explicit and implicit use of it in this section. In one instance he states, "Now contrary
opinions cannot be together in the same subject" (334). Here he explicitly states the first principle
and continues to build his argument upon it. The principle becomes vital in
concluding a logical progression of thought relating to nature and the beliefs
and opinions God made innate in His creation.
After accepting that truths cannot contradict one another it is only logical
to assume that the truths God reveals to His people will not contradict the
truths that can be obtained through nature.
God is the author of nature and that which He reveals, so, being
products of the same creator, it would be illogical for the two to contradict
each other. Aquinas reiterates this
point by explaining the impossibility of contradiction between that which human
experience has deemed true and that which God has revealed (333). Certain things have been proven to human
nature so thoroughly that they cannot be false.
On the other hand it is entirely incorrect to deem anything from God as
untrue. Therefore it is beyond the
bounds of reason for the two to oppose each other. Aquinas also acknowledges the tendency of
contrary arguments to hinder the advancement of truth. He notes that it is impossible to attribute
the hindering of knowledge to God so, therefore, no contradiction must exist
(334). In this short section Aquinas
weaves the first principle around, over, and through all of his arguments.
Even with all of the evidence and
support Aquinas provides none of it would be significant without acceptance of
the first condition. If the mind were
not capable of knowing truth it would not only be irrelevant to find
contradiction amongst truths, it would be impossible to explore their relation
at all. By setting out to explain the
relationship between faith and reason Aquinas is fully leaning on the belief
that truth can be known by humans. It is
within this condition, however, that Aquinas goes on to discuss the relation of
faith and reason.
Earlier in the Summa contra Gentiles Aquinas notes,
Just as a man
would show himself to be a most insane fool if he declared the assertions of a
philosopher to be false because he was unable to understand them, so, and much
more, a man would be exceedingly foolish, were he to suspect of false hood the
things revealed by God. (330)
In
this instance Aquinas is almost using the first condition in reverse. Instead of ending the condition with the
ability to understand truth he furthers it by suggesting that something is not untrue
simply because one does not yet understand it.
He revisits this point in chapter seven by connecting it to the relation
of faith and reason. Though the truths
of the Christian faith often exceed the capabilities of human reason it is
incorrect to count them as false (333).
He continues by saying, "Nor is it
lawful to deem false that which is held by faith, since it is so evidently
confirmed by God" (333). Here he is
arguing that the process by which one comes to know the truths they are capable
of knowing is not entirely relevant. He
is not, however, saying it is irrelevant.
Though he probably would not go as far as postmodernists in distrusting
truth it seems as though Aquinas would test the sources and methods he used to
obtain information to ensure their validity.
He is instead stating that truths which come from faith are just as
valid as those contrived by human reason.
In this chapter, and in the rest of the Summa contra Gentiles, Aquinas strives
to validate the relationship between faith and reason. By basing his arguments on two of the self
evident truths he is able to unravel criticism and arrive at logical
conclusions about the affinity of reason and faith.
