GCSE Philosophy and Ethics Practice Exam

The first three of St Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways connect to which argument?

1. Teleological argument

2. Ontological argument

3. Cosmological argument

4. Moral argument

The correct answer is: Cosmological argument

The first three of St. Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways are primarily concerned with the existence of God based on the concept of causation and the nature of existence. These arguments focus on the idea that everything that exists has a cause, and this chain of causation cannot regress infinitely. Aquinas argues that there must be a first cause, which is uncaused, and this first cause is God. The cosmological argument thus emphasizes that because everything in the universe has a cause, there must be a necessary being that initiated the cause-and-effect chain, which is consistent with Aquinas' assertion of God as the necessary being who brought everything into existence. The other options—teleological, ontological, and moral arguments—deal with different aspects of the existence of God, such as purpose, nature of existence, or morality, rather than the foundational causation principles that Aquinas explores in his first three Ways.