argument from degrees of perfection
E412954
The argument from degrees of perfection is a Thomistic proof for God’s existence that infers a maximally perfect being from the varying degrees of goodness, truth, and nobility observed in things.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| argument from degrees of perfection canonical | 1 |
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Scholastic argument
ⓘ
Thomistic proof ⓘ cosmological argument ⓘ philosophical argument ⓘ theistic argument ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Fourth Way
ⓘ
Fourth Way of Thomas Aquinas ⓘ |
| basedOn |
degrees of goodness
ⓘ
degrees of nobility ⓘ degrees of perfection in things ⓘ degrees of truth ⓘ gradation of being ⓘ |
| centralConcept |
gradation of being
ⓘ
participation in being ⓘ transcendental properties of being ⓘ |
| concerns |
goodness as a transcendental
ⓘ
nobility as a transcendental ⓘ truth as a transcendental ⓘ |
| concludesThat |
there exists something that is maximum in being
ⓘ
there exists something that is maximum in goodness ⓘ there exists something that is maximum in nobility ⓘ there exists something that is maximum in truth ⓘ |
| criticizedBy |
analytic philosophers of religion
ⓘ
empiricist philosophers ⓘ |
| criticizedFor |
ambiguity in the notion of perfection
ⓘ
questionable inference from degrees to a maximum ⓘ reliance on outdated metaphysics of forms and perfections ⓘ |
| defendedBy |
Catholic analytic philosophers
ⓘ
contemporary Thomists ⓘ |
| developedBy |
St. Thomas Aquinas
ⓘ
surface form:
Thomas Aquinas
|
| formulatedInWork | Summa Theologiae ⓘ |
| identifiesMaximumWith |
God
ⓘ
cause of all perfections in other things ⓘ |
| infersExistenceOf |
God
ⓘ
maximally perfect being ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Aristotelian doctrine of the maximum and minimum
ⓘ
Aristotelianism ⓘ
surface form:
Aristotelian metaphysics
|
| locatedInSection |
Summa Theologiae
ⓘ
surface form:
Summa Theologiae I q.2 a.3
|
| partOf | Five Ways ⓘ |
| presupposes |
analogy between degrees and a maximum
ⓘ
objective hierarchy of perfections ⓘ realism about universals or properties ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
argument from moral values
ⓘ
argument from the transcendental properties of being ⓘ ontological argument ⓘ |
| usedIn |
Catholic intellectual tradition
ⓘ
surface form:
Catholic philosophy
classical natural theology ⓘ |
| usesPremise |
gradation implies a maximum in that order
ⓘ
the maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus ⓘ things exhibit varying degrees of perfection ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.