“Because we cannot know what God is, but only what He is not, we cannot consider how He is but only how He is not.”
- 1225 – March 7, 1274
- Born in the Kingdom of Sicily (Italy)
- Theologian, philosopher
- A representative figure of scholasticism, who systematized the relationship between the doctrines of the Catholic Church and reason through his masterpiece, the Summa Theologica
Quote
“Because we cannot know what God is, but only what He is not, we cannot consider how He is but only how He is not.”
Explanation
Thomas Aquinas emphasizes the limits of human understanding when it comes to fully comprehending the nature of God. He suggests that God is so beyond human comprehension that we cannot truly know what God is in His essence. Instead, we can only understand God by defining what He is not—that is, by removing from our understanding anything that limits or constrains God. This way of understanding is called the “via negativa” or apophatic theology, where the focus is on describing God through what He is not, rather than making positive statements about His nature, which may inadvertently impose human limitations on the divine.
Aquinas lived during the 13th century, a period of intellectual exploration where theology and philosophy often intersected. He used Aristotelian reasoning to explain complex theological concepts, but he also acknowledged that there are profound mysteries about God that human reason cannot fully capture. Aquinas believed that while reason can lead us to a certain level of understanding about God—such as His existence and attributes like omnipotence or omniscience—God’s essence remains ultimately incomprehensible to the human mind. Thus, the most accurate way to speak about God is to acknowledge His transcendence and to remove any limitations we might impose upon Him by comparing Him to things we understand in our world.
In modern times, this quote reminds us of the humility needed when approaching the concept of God or the divine. It speaks to the idea that human language and conceptual frameworks are often inadequate to fully capture the infinite nature of the divine. By recognizing what God is not—such as not being limited by time, space, or human characteristics—we acknowledge the profound mystery and transcendence of God. This approach encourages an attitude of reverence, accepting that there are aspects of existence that go beyond our finite understanding. Aquinas’s insight invites believers and thinkers alike to embrace the mystery of the divine with both curiosity and humility, understanding that true knowledge of God lies partly in recognizing the limitations of our own knowledge.
