Introduction

Summary

The Introduction states the book’s main purposes in examining Thomas Aquinas’s (1225–1274) famous five arguments for God’s existence, or “Five Ways,” in Summa theologiae Ia q.2 a.3. Even philosophically trained readers find them difficult to understand and often misread them. There are few extensive books in English solely on the Five Ways in the last few decades. Reading the Ways requires familiarity with positions Aquinas holds in his metaphysics, theory of causation, logic, semantics, theory of knowledge, philosophy of nature, and other areas of philosophy. This book recovers that necessary background for the reader. Careful attention is given the arguments’ premises and the reasoning behind them. Ample consideration is given to historical and contemporary objections to the various Ways and how Aquinas might respond. The Introduction closes with a summary of the book’s nine chapters. It is hoped that readers will think along with Aquinas on issues surrounding God’s existence and reach greater clarity in their own conclusions.