On Not Taking the World for Granted: E. L. Mascall on The Five Ways

Abstract

Considered one of the leading proponents of natural theology in the 20 century, Eric Lionel Mascall (1905–1993) taught philosophy and theology at King’s College London for most of his career. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he insisted that classical theism, embodied in the writings of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, could be successfully revived for a modern audience. Known for his vigorous defense of neo-Thomism, Mascall offered an unusual interpretation of The Five Ways. While modern scholastics typically read the proofs as syllogistic exercises, Mascall maintained that God’s existence could not be deduced, but must be grasped by way of a unique type of metaphysical intuition. In my paper, I want to re-examine his position, explore his reasons for adopting it, and raise several questions concerning its significance for the history of neo-Thomism. Let us take a closer look at his position. In his initial remarks, Mascall suggests that each of the Ways can be represented by a simple modus ponens argument. Thus, for example, his version of the Third Way, stripped of its complexity, can be reduced to the following syllogism: