Relationship between Faith and Reason

Question 1

Aquinas
Compatibility of Faith and Reason

Answer 1

Argued that faith and reason are not in conflict, but rather complement each other

He believed that both avenues of understanding were gifts from God and they could work together harmoniously

Question 2

Aquinas
Natural and Supernatural Truths

Answer 2

Reason is capable of understanding the natural world through observation and logical deduction.

However, for supernatural truths, God’s existence or divine matters, faith is necessary as they transcend human compression.

Question 3

Aquinas
Five ways to prove God’s existence

Answer 3

Aquinas provided 5 philosophical arguments to demonstrate the existence of God, employing reason to support religious beliefs.

Question 4

Hume
Critique of Rationalism

Answer 4

Hume was skeptical of the rationalist approach to understanding the world. He challenged the use of reason in religious matters, asserting that it couldn’t provide certainty about metaphysical claims.

Question 5

Hume
Miracles and Testimony

Answer 5

Hume argued against the credibility of miracles based on testimonial evidence.

He suggest that since miracles defy natural laws, the evidence required to establish them as true should be incredibly wrong.