Natural Science – an Enemy or an Ally of Theodicy?

Some Methodological Remarks inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas’ Natural Theology

Abstract

Since the emergence of modern scientific revolution two opposing trends have appeared which attempted to use the hypotheses formulated on the basis of the dynamically developing natural science. The first of them focuses not only on questioning the truths of revealed faith relying on the results of natural science but also on demonstrating the groundlessness of the conclusions reached before by purely rational reflection which indicated the existence of the Absolute Being within the framework of theodicy. In the case of the second trend, there are attempts to interpret selected scientific discoveries as a confirmation of the truths contained in supernatural Revelation, or to use them as premises on the basis of arguments proposed by theodicy. St. Thomas Aquinas who was able to combine revealed knowledge with the scientific knowledge of his time, creating their integral synthesis is frequently mentioned in this respect to justify the rightness of this aspiration. The article addresses several methodological questions which provide a more ordered approach to the aforementioned issues relying on the model proposed by the Angelic Doctor.