Question

Based on St Thomas second argument of God existence, what is the term used to describe the first efficient cause which has no preceding cause that started the universe?

1) The uncaused cause
2) The prime mover
3) The unmoved mover
4) The first cause

Answer 1

The term used to describe the initial cause of the universe in St. Thomas Aquinas' argument is 'The Unmoved Mover' or 'The First Cause', which is equated with the Christian God.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on St. Thomas Aquinas' second argument for God's existence, the term used to describe the first efficient cause which has no proceeding cause that started the universe is The Unmoved Mover or The First Cause. Aquinas' Cosmological Argument includes a series of observations about the nature of the universe, primarily focusing on the chain of events and the necessity of an initial cause to set the cosmos in motion. The First Cause is understood to be the being which caused everything else to exist without itself being caused by another. This reflects an adaptation of Aristotle's concept of an initiating force that is necessary to explain the existence and motion of the universe, materially identified by Aquinas with the Christian God.