You are here:

Philosophy/Philosophy

Advertisement

Expert: Charles K. MacKay - 8/13/2009


Question
May I know about Thomas Aquinas 5 ways of proving god's existence though I have read it I could not understand it?

Answer
Try this on for size:

http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/RE/R-B2--00.HTM

The idea in the first two proofs is that we can't have an infinite regress.

The idea in the third is that nothing comes from nothing.

The idea in the fourth is that we can't have an infinite regress.

The idea in the fifth is the good ol' idea from Aristotle that everything has to have a definite meaning and task in the universe. There's no serious modern philosopher who thinks that Aristotle had this right. Meaning is something we give, not something we find.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Charlie

Philosophy

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Charles K. MacKay

Expertise

I can answer a number of questions in philosophy; my academic concentrations (graduate school at Cornell) are ethics, political philosophy, and 19th-century German philosophy (Marx, Hegel, and hangers-on.)

Experience

EDUCATION:

BA, New College, 1971, Philosophy and Religion
Awarded four graduate fellowships upon graduation

MA, Cornell University, 1974
Social and Political Philosophy, Danforth Fellowship

All course work and dissertation drafts completed for Ph.D. Cornell University, 1971-1975, Social and Political Philosophy, Danforth Fellowship

Courses in statistics and microeconomics, George Washington University and The American University, 1976-1978

EXPERIENCE: Health Insurance Specialist 2005 - Present
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service
US Department of Health and Human Services

Allentown Business School Instructor (Computer Science) 2003 - 2005

Northampton Community College
Adjunct Professor of Philosophy 2003 -2005

Lehigh County Community College
Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Computer Science


PUBLICATIONS:

Medicare Made Easy (with Charles B. Inlander) Addison-Wesley, 1989

Good Operations, Bad Operations (with Charles B. Inlander) Viking Press, 1993

Health Rebooted: Information Changes Everything (in press), 2008


Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Arts, Philosphy and Religion, New College, 1971 Master of Arts, Social and Political Philosophy, Cornell University, 1975

Awards and Honors
Danforth Fellowship, Woodrow Wilson Fellowship

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.