It is a sound rule of academic prudence to admit one's ignorance promptly
when one's chances of disguising it are slight. Thus I had better begin this
chapter by saying that I don't think I understand the Fourth Way, and
have even less confidence in my ability to make it out as an argument that
proves the existence of God. I console myself by the consideration that I
am in good company: both Kenny and Geach seem to give up on the
Fourth Way. ¹ But since a book with a title or sub-title like Four out of the
Five Ways in the Context of St Thomas's Theory of Science would have
attracted yet fewer readers than one sub-titled (as I intended) The Five
Ways of St Thomas in the Context of his Theory of Science I shall make bold
to offer the reader some considerations about the Fourth Way, in the hope
that the Advertising Standards Authority will thus be encouraged to treat
my publishers leniently.

We might as well begin with the text: no previous explanation, I think,
will make it any easier.

The fourth way is taken from the degrees which are found in things.

In things we find that some things are more or less good, or true, or
noble, and other such things.

But 'more' and 'less' so-and-so are said of various things in so far
as they approach, in their different ways, that which is most
so-and-so, as that which is hotter is that which is closest to that
which is hottest.

There is, then, something which is most true, and best, and most
noble, and which therefore most exists: for those things which are
most true are most existent, as it says in the second book of the
Metaphysics.

That which is said to be greatest in any kind causes everything of
that kind,

as for example fire, which is the hottest thing, is the cause of all
hot things, as it says in the same book.

-171-