On Evidence and Indirect Demonstration of the First Realistic Principles in Saint Thomas Aquinas

Description

This research explores the centrality of first principles in understanding reality and knowledge, emphasising their role as foundational truth-values indispensable for existential knowledge. The author links the first principles to Aquinas’ philosophy, highlighting their use across various levels and underlining their importance in grounding philosophical inquiry. The search for evidence and indirect demonstration for these principles is considered essential but complex. The exploration delves into Thomistic notions regarding God as the ultimate ontological principle and investigates the Aristotelian-Thomistic approach to dialectical ad absurdum indirect proof. The concept of per se nota in Aquinas is studied, connecting it to truth, intelligibility, and rational judgment. The text concludes by emphasising the practicality of investigating first principles, asserting their relevance in attaining authentic meaningfulness through right rationality, aligning with Aquinas’ metaphysical vision and quest for truth.