Necessary being

A being whose existence does not depend on anything else and which cannot fail to exist.

Something that cannot fail to exist. Aquinas argues ultimately for a necessary being whose existence does not depend on another.

The First Three Ways present God as the unmoved mover, uncaused cause and necessary being. God is not another dependent object within the universe, but its ultimate foundation.

A being that cannot fail to exist and does not depend on anything else for its existence.

God is the necessary being in the Third Way, not a contingent being. The argument does not claim that absolutely everything, including God, needs a cause.

Avoid saying that Aquinas argues absolutely everything needs a cause: his conclusion is an uncaused cause or independently necessary being.

A being whose existence does not depend on anything else and which cannot fail to exist; Muslims understand Allah in this way.

A being that cannot fail to exist. In Aquinas’ conclusion, God has necessary existence independently, rather than receiving it from another.

Aquinas identifies this necessary being with God.

A being that cannot fail to exist. In Aquinas’ conclusion, God has necessity independently rather than receiving it from another being.

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Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A · 1RA0

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