Natural Knowledge of God in the Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquina

Cardinal .ercier .p.ak. ot the tundamental a •• umption of igaeranoe of
metaphysioal realities that per.eates much of .edem philosophy.
!here.x-
1.ta, he says,
in the intelleotual atmosphere ot the present day
a prejudice again.t a .cience·ot metaphysics on the
.core ot there being no sp.cIal objeot tor suoh a
.oienoe to oontemplate. Bothing i. knowable, it i •
• aid, but what the sen.e. oan intora us about. and
therefore what 18 .uper.eneible, should any .uoh
rea 11 ty exist, hal no interest 'or the mnd, what
il unknowable had be.t be lett~ its obsourity.3
st. !homas Aquinas .tates a dootrine that appears to be directly opposed
to the philosophy of the Unknowable.
Wot only is natural knowledge
of God possible to men, aGoordine to the philosophy of St. !homal, but it
is the only knowledge that I.tiltiel him; until he acquirel knowledge of
the Fir.t Cause, man doe. not 0 •••• hi. que.t for knowledge.
!he po.ition
ot St. !hO ... 1 on thi. queltion i. well exprelled in the Contra Gentile.,
wh.re he lay ••
••• knowl.dge ot God i8 the last end ot all huaan
knowledee and action ••••• Man has a natural desire
to mow the cause. ot whatev.r he Ie... wheretore
through wondering at what they .aw. and iporine
ita cau.e, .en began to philo.ophic., and wh.n they
had di.ccy.red the cau.e they wwre at r •• t. Hor do
they cea.. inquiring until they come to the tirst
cau •••••••
""'"
a.ercier, ! Jlanual ot Mod.m Scholaltic Philosophy, tranllated by
T. L. Parker and S. A. Parker, O.S.B., 8th edition, B. Berder Book Co.,
St. Loui., 1921, p. 413.
EE, • .!!!., translation by English Dominican., from. the latelt Leonine
edition, Benlig.r Bro •• , Hew York, 1928, Vol. III, chap. XXY, p. 69.