October 19, 2003. ש: Aquinas on Religious Belief and Evidence.

An interesting passage from the Summa Theologica, 1:8, "Whether sacred doctrine is a matter of argument?" with my boldfacing. Note in reading this that for Aquinas, the definition of an "article of faith" is something that cannot be proven naturally, so, for example, the existence of God is not an article of faith for him.

As other sciences do not argue in proof of their principles, but argue from their principles to demonstrate other truths in these sciences: so this doctrine does not argue in proof of its principles, which are the articles of faith, but from them it goes on to prove something else; as the Apostle from the resurrection of Christ argues in proof of the general resurrection (1 Cor. 15). However, it is to be borne in mind, in regard to the philosophical sciences, that the inferior sciences neither prove their principles nor dispute with those who deny them, but leave this to a higher science; whereas the highest of them, viz. metaphysics, can dispute with one who denies its principles, if only the opponent will make some concession; but if he concede nothing, it can have no dispute with him, though it can answer his objections. Hence Sacred Scripture, since it has no science above itself, can dispute with one who denies its principles only if the opponent admits some at least of the truths obtained through divine revelation; thus we can argue with heretics from texts in Holy Writ, and against those who deny one article of faith, we can argue from another. If our opponent believes nothing of divine revelation, there is no longer any means of proving the articles of faith by reasoning, but only of answering his objections--if he has any--against faith. Since faith rests upon infallible truth, and since the contrary of a truth can never be demonstrated, it is clear that the arguments brought against faith cannot be demonstrations, but are difficulties that can be answered.
I extract several things from this. First, Aquinas is quite aware that in arguing with different types of people, one must use different kinds of argument, establishing whatever common ground exists before one starts. Second, even if one cannot convincing argue for X, it may be possible to convincingly destroy another person's arguments against X. Thus, rational argument between people such as atheists and Christians who deny each others' premises can still be useful. Third, a Christian confident that his beliefs are correct can be confident that arguments against his beliefs are somehow fallacious and can be refuted by someone clever enough.

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