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Objection 1: It seems that the existence of God is self-evident.
Now those things are said to be self-evident to us the knowledge of
which is naturally implanted in us, as we can see in regard to first
principles. But as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. i, 1,3),
"the knowledge of God is naturally implanted in all." Therefore the
existence of God is self-evident.
Objection 2: Further, those things are said to be self-evident
which are known as soon as the terms are known, which the Philosopher
(1 Poster. iii) says is true of the first principles of
demonstration. Thus, when the nature of a whole and of a part is
known, it is at once recognized that every whole is greater than its
part. But as soon as the signification of the word "God" is
understood, it is at once seen that God exists. For by this word is
signified that thing than which nothing greater can be conceived. But
that which exists actually and mentally is greater than that which
exists only mentally. Therefore, since as soon as the word "God"
is understood it exists mentally, it also follows that it exists
actually. Therefore the proposition "God exists" is self-evident.
Objection 3: Further, the existence of truth is self-evident.
For whoever denies the existence of truth grants that truth does not
exist: and, if truth does not exist, then the proposition "Truth
does not exist" is true: and if there is anything true, there must be
truth. But God is truth itself: "I am the way, the truth, and
the life" (Jn. 14:6) Therefore "God exists" is
self-evident.
On the contrary, No one can mentally admit the opposite of what is
self-evident; as the Philosopher (Metaph. iv, lect. vi) states
concerning the first principles of demonstration. But the opposite of
the proposition "God is" can be mentally admitted: "The fool said
in his heart, There is no God" (Ps. 52:1). Therefore,
that God exists is not self-evident.
I answer that, A thing can be self-evident in either of two ways:
on the one hand, self-evident in itself, though not to us; on the
other, self-evident in itself, and to us. A proposition is
self-evident because the predicate is included in the essence of the
subject, as "Man is an animal," for animal is contained in the
essence of man. If, therefore the essence of the predicate and
subject be known to all, the proposition will be self-evident to all;
as is clear with regard to the first principles of demonstration, the
terms of which are common things that no one is ignorant of, such as
being and non-being, whole and part, and such like. If, however,
there are some to whom the essence of the predicate and subject is
unknown, the proposition will be self-evident in itself, but not to
those who do not know the meaning of the predicate and subject of the
proposition. Therefore, it happens, as Boethius says (Hebdom.,
the title of which is: "Whether all that is, is good"), "that
there are some mental concepts self-evident only to the learned, as
that incorporeal substances are not in space." Therefore I say that
this proposition, "God exists," of itself is self-evident, for
the predicate is the same as the subject, because God is His own
existence as will be hereafter shown (Question 3, Article 4).
Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not
self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are
more known to us, though less known in their nature---namely, by
effects.
Reply to Objection 1: To know that God exists in a general and
confused way is implanted in us by nature, inasmuch as God is man's
beatitude. For man naturally desires happiness, and what is naturally
desired by man must be naturally known to him. This, however, is not
to know absolutely that God exists; just as to know that someone is
approaching is not the same as to know that Peter is approaching, even
though it is Peter who is approaching; for many there are who imagine
that man's perfect good which is happiness, consists in riches, and
others in pleasures, and others in something else.
Reply to Objection 2: Perhaps not everyone who hears this word
"God" understands it to signify something than which nothing greater
can be thought, seeing that some have believed God to be a body.
Yet, granted that everyone understands that by this word "God" is
signified something than which nothing greater can be thought,
nevertheless, it does not therefore follow that he understands that
what the word signifies exists actually, but only that it exists
mentally. Nor can it be argued that it actually exists, unless it be
admitted that there actually exists something than which nothing greater
can be thought; and this precisely is not admitted by those who hold
that God does not exist.
Reply to Objection 3: The existence of truth in general is
self-evident but the existence of a Primal Truth is not self-evident
to us.
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