Analogy Of Being and Thomas Aquinas’s Philosophy

Understanding the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas requires an appreciation of one of his key concepts, the analogy of being. While this idea is widely recognized, its importance is often not fully grasped. A clear understanding of the analogy of being can profoundly influence how we shape and develop our own philosophy of life. This article examines Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy, explores the concept of the analogy of being, and discusses its significance for personal philosophical growth.

Key features of Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy

Thomas Aquinas, a highly influential philosopher and theologian of the medieval period, is best known for harmonizing faith and reason. His philosophy centers on the belief that human reason and divine revelation complement each other, meaning that truths found through logic align with those revealed by God. One of his key contributions is the “Five Ways,” arguments for the existence of God based on natural reason, including the concepts of motion, causation, and purpose in the universe.

Aquinas drew heavily from Aristotle’s philosophy, adopting and adapting ideas such as the “prime mover” to support his theological views. He argued that all beings have a purpose or “final cause,” which ultimately points toward God as the ultimate end. Aquinas also introduced the concept of natural law, which states that moral principles are accessible through human reason and reflect a universal, God-given order.

Another central idea in Aquinas’s work is the distinction between essence (what something is) and existence (that something is), with God being the only being whose essence and existence are the same. Aquinas’s efforts to merge faith and reason have had a profound impact on theology, ethics, and philosophy, making his ideas timeless in their appeal and relevance. His balanced approach continues to serve as a bridge between science, philosophy, and religion.

What is analogy of being?

Thomas Aquinas’s view of the analogy of being focuses on how we can understand and describe God in relation to the created world. He believed that human language and concepts are limited and cannot fully capture the essence of God. However, he argued that we can still speak meaningfully about God by using analogical language. For Aquinas, an analogy is a middle ground between univocal and equivocal language. Univocal language means words have the exact same meaning when applied to different things, while equivocal language means words have completely different meanings in different contexts. According to Aquinas, neither of these approaches works for describing God.

Instead, Aquinas argued that analogical language allows us to use human concepts to speak about God in a way that is neither identical nor entirely different from how those concepts apply to the world. This is because all things in creation reflect, in some way, the goodness and perfection of their Creator. For Aquinas, there is a shared relationship between God and creation, but it is not one of equality. God’s qualities are infinitely greater and exist in a perfect way, while in creation, they are limited and imperfect. The analogy of being, therefore, helps bridge the gap between human understanding and the divine mystery without reducing God to something comparable to created things. It allows for a way to speak about God that respects both His transcendence and His connection to creation.

An example that sheds light on this philosophical perspective is as follows. Thomas Aquinas often used the analogy of being to explain how human understanding of God can be achieved through comparison to the created world. He described the relationship between a parent and their child as an example. A parent is a source of life, guidance, and care for their child, much like God is for all creation. While the care and guidance a parent provides are finite and human, they serve as a reflection of the infinite and divine qualities of God. This illustrates how certain characteristics observed in earthly relationships can act as a parallel to help us grasp, in an incomplete but meaningful way, the attributes of God. Such comparisons, while never fully capturing the essence of the divine, offer a means by which humans can relate to and understand higher spiritual concepts.

Challenges to Thomas Aquinas’s view about analogy of being

Philosophers who object to or reject Thomas Aquinas’s view about the analogy of being often do so because they find the concept unclear or insufficient in addressing complex philosophical problems. One common objection is that the idea of analogy can be too vague, failing to provide a clear distinction between the ways in which terms are applied to God and to created beings. This vagueness can make it challenging to understand what is meant when certain attributes, like “goodness” or “wisdom,” are said of both God and humanity. Critics argue that without this clarity, the analogy of being risks leading to confusion rather than offering meaningful insights.

Another concern involves how the analogy of being handles the relationship between God and creation. Some philosophers reject the notion of any shared framework between divine and human language, suggesting that God’s nature is entirely other and completely beyond human comprehension. They argue that any attempt to liken human concepts to God’s attributes diminishes the infinite and transcendent nature of God. These thinkers often advocate for a position called “apophatic theology,” which emphasizes the inability of human language to describe God at all, rather than relying on analogies.

Further objections are rooted in the difficulty of validating the analogy. Philosophers sometimes point out that it is impossible to empirically verify whether the use of analogous language accurately reflects the nature of God. Since human understanding and experience are inherently finite, critics question whether it is even possible to meaningfully apply human concepts to a being as infinite and transcendent as God. This skepticism leads some philosophers to dismiss the analogy altogether.

Finally, some reject the analogy of being on logical grounds. They contend that comparing the finite to the infinite introduces contradictions or inconsistencies, as the two categories do not share a common basis. According to this criticism, any analogy between the two might be inherently flawed because it attempts to bridge an unbridgeable gap.

These objections highlight fundamental questions about language, human understanding, and the nature of divine transcendence, leading many philosophers to challenge or reject Aquinas’s view altogether.

Why analogy of being is important to Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy

Understanding the concept of the analogy of being is essential to gaining insight into Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy.

1. Bridges the Gap Between God and Creation

The analogy of being helps understand how Thomas Aquinas bridges the conceptual gap between God, who is infinite and perfect, and the created world, which is finite and imperfect. It provides a way to discuss the similarities and differences between God’s existence and the existence of everything else without equating them. This is important because it allows people to speak meaningfully about God using terms that are also applied to created things. For example, words like “goodness” or “wisdom” can apply to both God and humans, but through analogy, their meanings are understood to be related yet not identical. This framework makes it possible to affirm God’s characteristics while respecting the mystery of God’s transcendence.

2. Facilitates Theological Language

The analogy of being is crucial for developing language that theologians and philosophers can use to talk about God without falling into misunderstanding or contradiction. Without analogy, words used to describe God might either lose all meaning or suggest that God is simply a larger version of created beings. The analogy of being ensures that language about God is neither purely literal nor entirely metaphorical but falls somewhere in between. This balance allows for a deeper exploration of divine attributes in a way that is accessible to human understanding while still acknowledging God’s incomprehensibility.

3. Respects the Unity of Reality

The analogy of being emphasizes the unity of all existence under a single source—God—while recognizing the diversity within creation. This is significant for understanding how all things, despite their differences, share a fundamental connection through their being. It shows that creation reflects God in a way that is proportional to its nature, maintaining a harmony between the creator and the created world. This concept supports the view that the world is ordered and intelligible, forming a foundation for natural theology and philosophical inquiry into existence.

Contrasting Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy with William of Ockham’s philosophy

Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham approached philosophy in markedly different ways, particularly in their understanding of how humans can speak about and comprehend God. Thomas Aquinas utilized the concept of the analogy of being, which suggests that while there are differences between God and creation, there is also a real, proportional similarity. For Aquinas, our language about God is not entirely the same as how we describe creatures (univocal), nor is it completely unrelated (equivocal), but rather it is analogous—meaning we can understand God partially by comparing divine traits to observable realities in the world.

William of Ockham, on the other hand, favored a more skeptical approach, relying on what is called nominalism. Ockham argued that universal concepts or shared traits, such as goodness, existed primarily as names or labels we use for understanding, without suggesting that such concepts represent real, shared qualities in the things themselves. This approach made Ockham less confident in using human language to describe or understand God. He believed that such descriptions often led to confusion or error because God’s nature is entirely distinct and beyond human comprehension.

The key distinction lies in how they believed humans can relate their understanding to God. Aquinas saw a structured connection through analogy, bridging a gap between divine and human understanding, while Ockham maintained a more radical separation, emphasizing the limits of human reason in comprehending the divine. These differences highlight how the two philosophers guided their inquiry into the relationship between God and the created world.

Analogy Of Being, Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy and the philosophy of life

Reflecting on Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy and his view about the analogy of being holds practical value as you work on shaping your own philosophy of life, regardless of whether you agree with his perspective or not. Engaging with these ideas prompts critical thinking about the interconnectedness of existence and the relationships between various aspects of life. This process can help you develop a deeper understanding of how you see yourself in relation to others, the world, and even concepts like purpose and meaning.

By exploring Aquinas’s ideas, you’re not simply learning about someone else’s philosophy but also challenging yourself to wrestle with complex, foundational questions. For example, his reflections on the nature of being can encourage you to examine how you interpret reality and whether you believe in an ultimate source of existence. These questions push you toward greater self-awareness and philosophical maturity, allowing you to refine your worldviews in ways that resonate on a personal level.

Furthermore, reflecting on philosophical ideas like Aquinas’s teaches the importance of dialogue and humility in the search for truth. We might not have all the answers, but the act of engaging with profound theories reminds us to remain open-minded and thoughtful. This mindset is crucial in forming a well-rounded philosophy of life that is not only intellectually satisfying but also practical in guiding how you live and interact with others.

Finally, confronting and reflecting on any significant philosophical idea—including Aquinas’s—helps develop essential skills like reasoning, articulation, and empathy. Taking the time to wrestle with such complex thoughts fosters both intellectual clarity and emotional intelligence. These are invaluable tools not just for personal growth, but also for navigating relationships, challenges, and decisions throughout life. Thus, whether you agree with Aquinas or not, the exercise of reflecting on his ideas is undeniably enriching and relevant on your path to developing your own life philosophy.

Further reading

Aquinas, T. (2006). Summa Theologica (T. Gilby, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1485)

Burrell, D. (1973). Analogy and Philosophical Language. Yale University Press.

Carr, T. A. (1996). The Promise of Thomism: Analogy, Univocity, and Being. Catholic University of America Press.

Hankey, W. J. (2001). God in Himself: Aquinas’s Doctrine of God as Expounded in the “Summa Theologiae”. Oxford University Press.

Kerr, F. (2002). After Aquinas: Versions of Thomism. Blackwell Publishers.

Klubertanz, G. P. (1960). St. Thomas Aquinas on Analogy of Being. Regnery Co.

Owens, J. (1994). Being and the Analogy of Being (2nd ed.). Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.